Norwegian goods supplier trials Scania hydrogen powered vehicles

Asko, which is Norway’s largest convenience goods wholesaler with a fleet of 600 trucks, is continuing its investment in sustainable transport services. The company and Scania will start testing hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Electrical energy is converted from hydrogen in fuel cells on board the vehicles. The hydrogen will be produced locally, using solar cells. The trucks will run in distribution service with distances of almost 500 km.

“This very interesting project represents a unique opportunity to test the fuel cell technology in a challenging customer operating environment. The conversion of hydrogen to electrical energy on board trucks, which are operated for longer distances, will thus provide value experience for Scania’s continued development of electrified powertrains,” said Nils-Gunnar Vågstedt, who is responsible for the development of Scania’s hybridization.

Asko has the ambition to achieve a climate-neutral business, where distribution of goods will take place using trucks, which run on renewable fuels. Experience from pilot testing of vehicles and the plant, which will be built for local hydrogen production, will form the basis for Asko’s decision on a continued investment in hydrogen propulsion. The research project is partly financed by the Norwegian government.

Scania will supply three-axle distribution trucks with a gross weight of 27 tons, where the internal combustion engine in the powertrain will be replaced by an engine powered by electricity from fuel cells and hydrogen on board the vehicle. The rest of the powertrain is composed of the same standard components used in the hybrid trucks and buses that Scania already delivers. Three trucks will form part of the research project, with an option for one further vehicle.

http://www.ngvjournal.com/norwegian-goods-supplier-trials-scania-hydrogen-powered-truck/