Volvo Trucks North America is working with industrial gas and engineering company Linde Canada in an exclusive, one-time pilot, importing five Volvo FH LNG (liquified natural gas) powered trucks to Canada.

The Volvo FH model is the OEM's primary Class 8 cabover tractor model sold in Europe and markets outside of North America.

Volvo Trucks first launched the LNG product offering in 2017 with serial production beginning in 2018 for the European markets. The company said the trucks demonstrated exceptional torque, performance, and durability while reducing CO2 emissions. 

More than 6,000 Volvo LNG trucks have been sold globally in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Portugal, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Austria, and Bulgaria. 

Volvo FH Capabilities

The Volvo FH gas-powered trucks are designed for long-haul transport with up to 60 tonnes GCW (132,277 lbs.) and up to 500 hp with a 621-mile range. Combined with Westport's high-pressure direct gas-injection system, these vehicles offer the same drivability, performance, and torque levels as diesel engines, but with drastically lower CO2 emissions, Volvo Trucks said.

Sustainability

Paul Kudla, managing director for Canada, Volvo Trucks North America, said Volvo will continue embracing innovative technologies to drive the shift in reducing CO2 emissions through sustainable fuel options, including battery-electric, and fuel cell hydrogen.

“Volvo's LNG fueling approach – widely adopted in Europe – has proven its effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions, offering fleets both a sustainable and efficient solution,” said Kudla. “We are excited to enable Linde Canada to move forward with this one-time pilot project utilizing their extensive experience with LNG vehicles and existing fueling infrastructure.”

Linde Canada

By integrating the Volvo FH LNG-powered trucks into its operations, Linde Canada aims to capture the performance, CO2 emission reductions, and other operational benefits of LNG-powered tractors in its long-haul operations. 

Part of the planned evaluation at Linde Canada will mirror the fleet’s routine analysis of vehicle and driver fuel economy and take advantage of its logistics and scheduling system that minimizes mileage by providing optimal routing.

The deployment of five Volvo FH LNG trucks, featuring options of 420-, 460-, or 500-hp power ratings with up to 2,500 Nm of torque, will be on the road in Canada later this year.

Linde Canda is building its own LNG supply and infrastructure for seamless integration of the Volvo FH trucks into its fleet.  

“Linde is working with Volvo Trucks and importing FH 460 hp Class 8 tractors to operate alongside our existing Volvo Trucks diesel Class 8 tractors on a Canadian trial. We believe LNG technology is one way we will achieve our goals for our transportation fleet,” said Laura Lunt, director, Energy Services, Linde Canada.

LNG Benefits

The use of LNG as a fuel offers several advantages, according to Volvo Trucks. Those advantages include a greater energy density compared to compressed natural gas (CNG) to deliver a similar range to diesel and a 20% reduction in tank-to-wheel CO2 emissions compared to diesel. Additionally, LNG engines enhance the driver’s experience by delivering significant noise reduction, and smoother operating characteristics compared to a diesel equivalent, Volvo Trucks explained.