On Tuesday, VTT will conduct a test drive with a tractor equipped with a diesel engine, which will be refueled with electric fuel. The electric fuel made from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide will be tested for the first time in vehicle use on Tuesday. The project aimed to develop the production of electric fuel for commercial applications and industrial-scale use has received EUR 3.3 million in funding from Business Finland, increasing the funding to more than EUR six million due to the companies’ parallel research and product development investments.
VTT’s project is expected to receive further funding as it continues to develop and refine the production of electric fuel. According to Juha Lehtonen, responsible leader of the project and research professor at VTT, electric fuels can replace fossil diesel fuel in areas that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy road traffic and shipping. They can also be used in work machines.
The test drive is being carried out at Agco Power’s factory in Nokia, where a tractor equipped with a diesel engine is being refueled with electric fuel. During the test drive, which lasts several hours, the fuel consumption and various emissions in the exhaust gases will be measured by Kari Aaltonen, director of product development at Agco Power.