Commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania has teamed up with Swedish waste company Renova to develop a fuel cell powered refuse truck with a fully electrified power train and compactor.
The two companies aim to reduce emissions and noise to make the electrified vehicles an attractive alternative when working in residential areas at early hours of the morning.
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Renova and other waste handling companies have previously carried out trials with electric refuse trucks, however this will be the first with fuel cells.
Scania Electric Powertrain Technology Project Manager Marita Nilsson said the company is highly interested in gaining more experience of fuel cells in actual customer operations.
“Fuel cells constitute a promising technology in the needed decarbonisation of transports,” Ms Nilsson said.
Renova Head of Development Hans Zackrisson said electrification using fuel cells fuelled by hydrogen is a highly appealing alternative for heavy commercial vehicles such as refuse trucks.
“The trucks benefit from all the advantages of electrification while maintaining some of the best aspects of fossil-fuel operations, namely range, hours in service and payload,” Mr Zackrisson said.
Scania has also previously partnered with Norwegian food wholesaler Asko to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology for its production plant.
The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Swedish Energy Agency and Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology. The fuel cell refuse truck is expected to be delivered in the end of 2019 or by the beginning of 2020.