The Volvo Group’s truck division is also exploring the hydrogen engine (H2 ICE*), in addition to the fuel cell. It is going to fund two PhD scholarships in Sweden on this subject.

Volvo is not ruling anything out. The company is investing in battery electrics, renewable fuels and hydrogen. And in this last area, the fuel cell is not the only technology. Unlike the automotive industry, which has clearly opted for the all-electric, the truck industry believes that research should continue into the combustion engine. It believes that this solution is still suitable for buses, trucks, public works machinery, marine and industrial applications.

“We believe that the future will demand varied propulsion applications to meet our customers’ needs and environmental demands,” says Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer Volvo Group. This is why the manufacturer is opening a school called VICE (Volvo Internal Combustion Engine), to secure continued competence. Both PhD students will be employed by Volvo who will finance their research, supervision, and experimental expenses. One will be at Chalmers University, which has a dedicated hydrogen department, TechForH2. The second will be at Lund University.

*H2 ICE: Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine

Do you want to learn more about Volvo and the hydrogen ICE? Then our latest articles about these subjects should interest you. You can access all our articles written about Volvo here. You can also read our latest article about the hydrogen engine here.

Are you a LinkedIn user who would like to follow the latest hydrogen news on a more regular basis? Then our LinkedIn weekly newsletter may be what you are looking for. You can subscribe to it here. 

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King