June 17th, 2005
In an effort to address the immense emissions problem
association with vehicles that are extensively idled when parked, such as trucks, Volvo Technology and Statoil have formed
a joint venture company called Powercell. Under the agreement, Powercell has obtained the rights to a new fuel cell technology
that will be used to power on-vehicle electronics, such as air conditioning and heating systems, when trucks are parked for
long periods as truck drivers take long needed naps.
According to Volvo, which sites statistics from the Truck
Manufacturers Association and calculations from the Department of Energy, the emissions generated from such activity is great.
It estimates that in North America alone, such idling trucks generate more CO2 emissions than 25 percent of all of Sweden’s
emissions combined. Volvo estimates that about 20 to 30 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per truck are generated every year.
The technology is also startling. Hydrogen fuel for the
fuel cell is generated from the diesel engine itself. As well, the design of the fuel cell is compact enough to enable standard
trucks to be retrofitted with the technology.
