When Joel Löfving, PhD student at the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, packs his bags for a six-month stay in California, it is more than just a research exchange. He will also serve as an ambassador for Chalmers and for Swedish energy and climate research. Joel has been awarded a place in the prestigious Fulbright Program and will spend his time at the University of California, Davis – one of the world’s leading centers for research on transport and alternative fuels.
“It’s hard to imagine a better place for my research. Davis is close to Sacramento, the state capital where much of California’s energy policy is shaped, and the research group I’ll be joining is world-leading in sustainable transport and hydrogen solutions,” says Joel Löfving.
He is in the midst of his doctoral journey. His research and dissertation focus on energy systems modeling, with an emphasis on how hydrogen and other alternative fuels can support the transition of the transport sector.
In the U.S., there are numerous projects where hydrogen is already in practical use – for example, bus fleets that have been operating for more than a decade. This gives Joel the opportunity to compare his models with the experiences of actors working daily with the technology in real-world operations.
“As researchers, we often build scenarios about what the transport sector could look like far into the future,” he says. “In California, there are practical examples of hydrogen technology that we don’t see as much of here in Sweden. That provides an opportunity to get a different perspective. I hope to bring home lessons about both what works and what doesn’t.”
Since hydrogen is used to a greater extent in the U.S. transport sector – although still on a relatively small scale – than in Sweden or Europe, Joel looks forward to studying how practical challenges have been addressed there.
Similar, but also quite different
“You might expect things to be similar to Sweden, but in practice it’s quite different,” he explains. “In California, for example, there has been a strong focus on air pollution and its health impacts, in addition to the climate impact of the transport sector. That has helped drive certain changes, while progress has been slower in other areas.”
The road to Davis has been long. Joel began working on his application a year and a half ago, inspired and encouraged by earlier contacts in California. Fulbright is one of the United States’ most prestigious international exchange programs, and competition is fierce. After a process of selection, interviews, and waiting, Joel received the news in the summer of 2024.
During his stay in the U.S., he will continue to work on his Chalmers projects, but with access to new tools and collaborations. Beyond research, he is also looking forward to experiencing California again – he previously spent time living in Berkeley – and to building networks that could be important for the future.
Contributing and learning
“I’m really looking forward to representing both Chalmers and Sweden,” he says. “The Fulbright Program is not just about research, but also about cultural exchange – contributing with Swedish perspectives while learning how things are done in the U.S. I also believe that right now, it is more important than ever to foster these exchanges, to keep dialogue in research alive. And of course, I hope the change of environment will ‘shake up my brain’ a bit and bring new ideas and energy to both myself and my research group.”
Joel also emphasizes that he wants to raise awareness about the Fulbright Program itself.
“It isn’t very well known in Sweden, and most applicants come from the universities in Stockholm and Uppsala,” he says. “I hope more researchers here at Chalmers will see the opportunities this program offers.”
When Joel returns to Gothenburg in March next year, he hopes that the stay will not only have deepened his own hydrogen research but also laid the groundwork for more collaborations between Chalmers and U.S. research environments.
“If we want to understand what future energy systems might look like, we have to work internationally. I hope my stay can help strengthen the ties between our countries.”
About the Fulbright Program
Fulbright is one of the world’s most recognized exchange programs for students, researchers, and teachers. It was established in 1946 by the U.S. Senate to promote international understanding through academic and cultural exchange. Each year, around 8,000 people from more than 160 countries receive scholarships to study, conduct research, or teach in the United States. The program is strongly associated with academic excellence as well as the role of being an ambassador for one’s home country.
In addition to the Fulbright Program, Joel Löfving has also received financial support from the Barbro Osher Endowment, the Sweden-America Foundation’s Roland Nilsson Scholarship, the A.H. Lindfors Scholarship, and Chalmers Competence Centre TechForH2.
More about Joel Löfving’s research
Planned hydrogen refueling stations could lead to annual multimillion losses
Contact
- Doctoral Student, Transport, Energy and Environment, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences