Volvo XC90 could get Hydrogen Fuel Cell range extender

The Volvo XC90 – Volvo’s biggest SUV – could get a hydrogen fuel cell range-extender to ensure the battery on its hybrid models is always at full charge.

It seems we’re about enter an era where battery electric vehicles actually become proper alternatives to ICE cars. But what of hydrogen fuel cell powered cars?

Hydrogen is still arguably the future for cars, but, apart from cost, the lack of a refuelling infrastructure is a big impediment to any major roll-out of hydrogen-fuelled cars in the near future.

But, according to Volvo’s head of sales and marketing, Bjorn Annwall, in conversation with Drive, hydrogen fuel cells and BEVs aren’t poles apart.

Not unreasonably, Anwell points out that Fuel Cells are, in effect, a liquid battery, and it’s not a big leap for the BEVs currently being built to replace the bulk of the batteries with a hydrogen fuel cell.

So although Anwall sees hydrogen power at least 10 years away as a viable standalone commercial solution, Volvo are working on the technology and have completed a study aimed at fitting the XC90 with a 20Kw hydrogen fuel cell as a range extender, to ensure the XC90 T8 has full battery power at all times.

Anwall thinks that’s probably five years away, but if there’s a breakthrough in fuel cells it could be much sooner.