Today, commercial vehicles are at the doorstep of global innovations intended to decrease the amount of hazardous pollution in the atmosphere. The share of trucks reaches up to 25% of all GHGs emissed by automobiles in the EU countries. This figure is equal to 6% of the total volume of such emissions in the European Union. As a result, in November 2023, the European Parliament supported environmental rules which regulate the reduction of hazardous pollution for new heavy trucks by 65% by 2030, and by 90% by 2035.
Electric Trucks by Volvo
Here we should mention that the top 7 flagman manufacturers in this class don’t mess around, and they are working hard to prepare for these changes. The Volvo Trucks company is the brightest example of such activity. It was Volvo Trucks who became the pioneer in the manufacturing of heavy trucks on electric traction in 2019. Firstly, they developed delivery models of city trucks, yet by 2022, long-haul vehicles and trucks for the construction industry joined them.
Today, its manufacturing program provides six models of electric trucks produced in four factories in France, Sweden, Belgium, and the USA. The total order the company received includes 6,000 environmentally friendly vehicles.
So, it is not an occasion that the honorable title an International Truck of the Year 2024 was awarded to long-haul truck Volvo FH Electric. By the way, this was the first victory for an electric truck in the entire 47-year history of this prestigious international competition. The model can have up to six battery packs with a total capacity of 540 kWh, which provides the 44-ton road train with a range of up to 300 km.
Diesel Tow Trucks by Volvo Became More Cost-Saving
It’s important to mention that the company achieved significant results in the development of models equipped with diesel engines, which are still holding a lion’s share in the whole output of Volvo Trucks. Thus, an Aero version of long-haul trucks was presented recently. Due to improved aerodynamics and other innovations, they consume 5% less fuel.
The FH model in the I-Save version, which has become much more economical than its predecessor, is also worthy of attention due to the turbo-compound engine and the I-Shift automatic transmission, which adjusts its operation to the topography of the area (I-See technology).
Mercedes-Benz Equipped With Batteries
The Daimler Truck AG auto manufacturer also actively works on electric truck development. Serial production of the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz eActros model began in October 2021. The vehicle can be equipped with three or four battery packs, which provide a range of up to 400 km. It takes just over an hour to charge three blocks from 20 to 80% of capacity with a direct current of 160 kW. Yet, the manufacturer didn’t stop there. So, in October 2023, a long-haul tow truck eAcrtoss 600 equipped with LEP batteries with a capacity of 621 kWh was presented. As a result, a 44-tone auto train can drive up to 500 km without charging. If taking into account intermediate charging during a mandatory 45-minute break, as well as the drivers’ work and rest schedule, the daily mileage of the road train reaches 1,000 km. Serial production of such vehicles should begin this year.
An Electric MAN
One more German big fish in auto manufacturing, MAN Truck&Bus, promises to start the manufacturing line for its newest electric tow truck eTruck in 2025 in its plant in Munich. The vehicles will get from three to six battery packs with a capacity of up to 480 kWh. With an intermediate 45-minute charge at 375 kW DC, the road train will be able to travel up to 800 km during the day.
Charging Stations for Electric Trucks
The massive shift of transportation companies into electric rolling stock is impossible without a developed infrastructure of high-speed charging stations. That’s why the Traton Group (which includes MAN), the Volvo Group and the Daimler Truck auto concerns developed a joint venture company to develop a network of 1,700 such stations throughout Europe. This number will also include promising, so-called. megawatt stations that will be able to charge batteries from 20% to 80% capacity in just half an hour.
Innovations by Scania
If we talk about smart solutions in the field of internal combustion engines, we cannot pass by the Scania company with its innovative power line called Super which allows saving up to 8% of fuel. The trucks are equipped with 13-l turbo diesel engines with a thermal efficiency of 50% which is a really highest score in this class. The engines with power options from 420 hp to 560 hp have twin camshafts and an exhaust gas purification system Scania Twin SCR which is based on double AdBlue injection. New Scania Opticruise automatic transmissions and modernized drive axles make their contribution too.
In 2020, Scania began producing electric vehicles for city delivery, and two years later, this line was expanded with long-haul trucks capable of working with road trains weighing up to 64 tons (for the Swedish market). Long-range models with a power output of 410 kW can have up to six battery packs with a capacity of up to 624 kWh, allowing a range of 350 km. At the same time, charging with a direct current of 375 kW for a range of 270 – 300 km requires only about an hour.
A New Design of DAF Tow Trucks
The company DAF Trucks N.V. which was the first one to produce long-haul trucks according to the latest European norms for weight and dimensions for vehicles of this class in 2021, deserves a separate talk. Its innovations allowed to increase in the length of truck cabins for new models XF, XG and XG+ at the front by 160 mm, and at the rear by 330 mm (except for XF vehicles). The cabins became more spacious and their inner space increased by 14% up to 12.5 cubic meters. New dimensions also worked in favor of the optimization of aerodynamics. This solution along with a modernized 13-l engine decreased fuel consumption by 10.2%. As a result, tow trucks of the new family XF, XG and XG+ won the International Truck of the Year 2022 prize.
Hydrogen Tow-Trucks by Nicola
One of the most perspective directions in the development of eco-friendly heavy-load vehicles is the hydrogen fuel elements technology. An American corporation Nicola which delivered its first customers 35 TRE FCEV long-haul tow trucks in the 4th quarter of 2023, gained considerable success in this direction. All these vehicles were developed in cooperation with IVECO and it’s clearly seen by their cabins which are mostly similar to the S-Way models. The trucks are equipped with the installation of fuel cells with a power of 200 kW, cylinders for 70 kg of hydrogen, which is stored under a pressure of 700 bar, as well as an electric motor with a constant power of 400 kW and batteries with a capacity of 164 kWh. Such a truck being a part of a road train has a range of up to 800 km. Refilling with hydrogen takes less than 20 minutes.
Hydrogen Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Successfully Passed the Test
Daimler Truck AG actively works on hydrogen technologies too. In September 2023, its promising semi-trailer truck Mercedes-Benz GenH2 managed to drive 1,047 km without refilling on public highways as a part of a loaded auto train.
By mid-2024, the company promises to launch the first test fleet of such vehicles.
Fuel Stations Will Be Expanded By Hydrogen Filling Stations
Serial production will be launched later. Similarly to the situation with battery electric trucks, for the industry, the transition to hydrogen trucks requires an appropriate gas station infrastructure. The first hydrogen filling station for trucks was recently opened in the German city of Wörth. Its capacity is 400 kg of hydrogen per hour, which allows you to fill 80 kg of this environmental fuel in a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 tank in just 10 – 15 minutes.
The Focus Is on Environmental Friendliness
Thus, today we can see a range of totally new and promising technical solutions in the development of the construction of international cargo vehicles. The main focus of the manufacturers is on sustainability and eco-friendliness. This focus is especially topical in modern realities.