Drive Systems for the Decarbonization of Heavy Freight Transport

Volvo Trucks and cellcentric are collaborating on the development and deployment of fuel cell-based and battery-electric drive systems for heavy commercial vehicles. The technological implementation aims to decarbonize road freight transport through alternative energy sources.

Operational Challenges and Collaboration
Heavy road freight transport requires drive solutions that guarantee long ranges and high payloads while simultaneously minimizing carbon dioxide emissions. To meet these infrastructural requirements, Volvo Trucks is working with cellcentric, a joint venture involving the Volvo Group. The cooperation bundles Volvo Trucks' vehicle integration expertise with cellcentric's development specialization in the field of fuel cell systems to realize and scale a strategic technological basis for climate-neutral transport.

Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The system architecture of the three-way strategy comprises battery-electric drives, fuel cell vehicles, and internal combustion engines powered by renewable fuels. Volvo Trucks is responsible for the mechanical integration of the powertrains into the vehicle chassis, including the Volvo FH Aero Electric model, which enables ranges of up to 700 kilometers. cellcentric takes over the development and technical provision of fuel cell systems for heavy commercial vehicles. Additionally, the architecture integrates hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines and systems for Bio-LNG to diversify the drive options.

Deployment and Implementation
The physical deployment and demonstration of the drive systems will take place at the IAA Transportation 2026 trade fair in Hall 11 at the exhibition center in Hanover. During the implementation phase, the fuel cell trucks, the hydrogen-powered vehicles with internal combustion engines, and the extended-range battery-electric models will be deployed in an operational test environment. The technical infrastructure allows operators to verify the mechanical parameters of the alternative drives during direct test drives. The official presentation of the system data will take place during a press conference on September 14, 2026.

Applications and Use Cases
These drive technologies find direct application in industrial logistics and heavy-duty transport. The functional use cases include low-emission overland transport using battery electrification, as well as the use of hydrogen systems for long-haul routes with high continuous capacity utilization. The parallel application of these mechanical systems stabilizes the transport capacities of logistics companies and ensures compliance with strict emission standards across varying route profiles.

Results and Expected Impact
By implementing the combined drive architecture, transport companies can gradually reduce the operational emissions of their vehicle fleets. The provision of different technological paths increases flexibility for fleet operators in adapting to regional charging and refueling infrastructures. The technical readiness of these systems forms the functional basis for reducing fossil fuel dependencies and optimizes energy efficiency in commercial road freight transport.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

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