Volvo CE commences tests on Volvo HX04, worlds’ first hydrogen fuel cell hauler

Volvo Construction Equipment has started testing the world’s first fuel cell articulated hauler prototype, the Volvo HX04.

The development and building of the six-wheel prototype have largely been carried out at Volvo CE’s facility in Braås, Sweden.

The outcome will provide important observations into the possibilities provided by hydrogen and fuel cells as Volvo CE continues research for its future product development programmes.

The Volvo HX04 is the result of a research project running between 2018 and 2022, with funding from FFI, a national collaboration between the Swedish Innovation Agency VINNOVA, Swedish Energy Agency, and Swedish Transport Administration.

Partners include Volvo CE, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, who provided specialist competence on driveline development and safety, and PowerCell Sweden, a developer of fuel cell-based hydrogen-electric power solutions.