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Swedish auto-manufacturer Volvo Vans has began testing long-haul vans powered by hydrogen gas cells that solely emit water vapor, the corporate introduced this week.
The vans will have the ability to tow 65 tons, journey round 1000 km (620 miles) and gas up in lower than quarter-hour, the corporate stated.
They hope to start promoting the vans by 2030.
Scientists have been keen on utilizing hydrogen to energy automobiles for many years due to the potential environmental advantages in comparison with fossil fuels.
Conventional diesel gas utilized in many vans’s engines emits planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2), in addition to nitrogen oxides, soot and different pollution. Hydrogen gas cells, then again, mix hydrogen with oxygen to supply electrical energy that powers the automobile, and water vapor as a by-product.
That being stated, a lot of the world’s hydrogen comes from fossil fuels, CNBC experiences. Round 98 per cent of the world’s hydrogen comes from fossil fuels and releases 830 million metric tons of CO2 yearly, in line with a Columbia College reality sheet. That’s about the identical because the yearly emissions from 179 million automobiles in america.
However there are methods to supply hydrogen with out fossil fuels by splitting water (H2O) molecules into hydrogen and oxygen with electrical energy, or what’s generally known as “inexperienced hydrogen”. If the electrical energy used to separate these molecules comes from renewable sources, that hydrogen manufacturing and use would produce no CO2 emissions, the Columbia College sheet notes.
The Volvo Vans press launch stated that the present restricted provide of inexperienced hydrogen, in addition to hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, remained challenges for the know-how.
At the moment, practically all the hydrogen gas stations in america are in California, which has 47 in complete. There are over 100 throughout Europe.
Volvo isn’t the one firm engaged on hydrogen-powered vans – different firms like Toyota and Hyundai have additionally been growing hydrogen fashions. Volvo Vans additionally notes that they’re engaged on battery-powered electrical vans.
Transportation contributes round 27 per cent of the US’s greenhouse fuel emissions, in line with the US Environmental Safety Company. Of that quantity, 26 per cent is because of medium-duty and heavy-duty vans — with 57 per cent from automobiles and eight per cent from airplanes.
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