Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell truck arrives in Europe

Hyundai It has delivered the first prototypes of the world’s first mass-produced, commercially available hydrogen fuel cell truck, Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell.

The 4×2 rigid trucks, delivered today in Lucerne, Switzerland, will now be put into service by seven Swiss customers, marking the launch of Hyundai’s commercial vehicle division in Europe.

And this is just the beginning, as Hyundai has also detailed large-scale plans for its hydrogen trucks in the USA and China, with other markets and more models to follow.

The Korean heavyweight says it plans to build 50 XCIENT fuel cell trucks by the end of 2020 and will supply 1,600 trucks to Europe by 2025.

Speaking at an international online press conference to mark the milestone, Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Executive Vice President In Cheol Lee said: “We are the first automaker to market a hydrogen-powered truck using advanced fuel cell technology.

“This is not a pilot project with a limited scope, it is real marketing with daily operation of a regular fleet.”

The Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell is powered by two examples of the 95 kW fuel cell range found in Hyundai Nexo passenger carIn addition to a 72 kWh battery. This arrangement powers a 350kW/3400Nm Siemens electric/inverter motor mated to a six-speed Allison transmission.

The truck has a GVM (gross vehicle mass) of 19,000kg and a GCM (gross vehicle mass) of 36,000kg, while Hyundai says its seven hydrogen tanks, which collectively contain 32kg of hydrogen, provide a range of around 400km. Refueling is said to take about 15 minutes.

Compared to battery-powered electric trucks, Hyundai says hydrogen is ideally suited for commercial vehicle applications, as it has a refueling time similar to that of diesel trucks but without sacrificing the payload of heavier batteries.

Hyundai expects to have more than 25,000 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Europe by 2030, with Hyundai

The company also revealed that it is working on the next generation hydrogen truck platform, which will be rolled out around 2024. Powered by two 200-kilowatt fuel cell systems, Hyundai says it will have a GCM of 46 tons and a range of up to 1,000 kilometres.

This next platform will also form the basis of the US’s 6×4 mainframe, although it is not yet known whether it will be based on HDC-6 Neptune concept truck It was revealed late last year.

In any case, Hyundai will lead its North American efforts with over-the-engine fuel cell models starting in 2021, and the company expects to deliver 12,000 trucks in the US by 2030.

The company also has its eyes on China, where it hopes to achieve total sales of 27,000 fuel cell trucks by 2030.

As for Australia, Hyundai’s hydrogen roadmap is less clear.

“In Australia, we don’t have a right-hand drive FCEV truck yet, but the next generation will be introduced in 2024 – by which time we will have RHD for Australia and the UK,” Mr Lee said, adding that Australia could see Hyundai XCIENT is here soon in specialized left-hand drive applications, such as waste collection.

Details regarding the rollout of a dealer network to support these hydrogen trucks in those countries where there is currently no Hyundai commercial vehicle network also remain to be clarified.

Hyundai started looking Hydrogen as a fuel source in 1998 and has already released several FCEV passenger cars in selected markets.

But it believes commercial transportation will drive the necessary growth of hydrogen refueling infrastructure around the world, which in turn will drive growth in hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles.

“Switzerland shows the advantage of starting this business with commercial vehicles because we have a business case of just 10 trucks for one refueling station, so this ‘chicken and egg’ problem will end,” said Hyundai’s vice president of global new business development. Mike Ziglar.

In contrast, the company says it would need the equivalent of about 700 passenger cars to make the same station economically viable, due to the lower and less consistent fuel needs of passenger cars.

Meanwhile, Hyundai believes cost parity between FCEVs and diesel trucks will happen globally by 2030, but it will happen sooner in some regions with the support of government incentives. Hyundai says costs will also fall as the hydrogen vehicle industry expands.

Hyundai is currently exploring several partnerships to promote hydrogen mobility around the world. In Switzerland, it has set up a joint venture, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, with the Swiss company H2 Energy, which in turn has its own joint venture for hydrogen mobility called Hydrospider.

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility rents the trucks to customers on a pay-per-use basis, so there is no need for a large initial investment on the part of the customer. Hyundai hopes to roll out similar frameworks in other European countries soon, tailoring its business case to meet the specific needs of each region and regulatory environment.

Hyundai’s entry into Europe represents a major step in the company’s global push towards a ‘hydrogen society’, as it plans to be heavily involved – either directly or through partners – in almost all aspects of the ‘hydrogen value chain’.

This includes everything from R&D to hydrogen production, refueling infrastructure, hydrogen-powered transport and stationary power generation, with the company investing a staggering A$9 billion in its hydrogen business by 2025.

The push towards hydrogen as a key element in decarbonizing our world is accelerating, with many countries now investing heavily in a hydrogen future.

As with passenger cars, truck makers are jockeying for position as the shift to low- or no-emission transportation accelerates.

For example, Daimler Trucks recently unveiled GenH2 hydrogen truck conceptIt has established hydrogen R&D partnerships with the Volvo Group and Rolls-Royce.

But according to Dr. Lee, Hyundai will be at the forefront of hydrogen.

“Starting with this first meaningful step today, Hyundai Motor will take the lead in making hydrogen fuel cell trucks available faster and in more places and accelerating the reach of the global hydrogen community,” he said.

“Today marks the beginning of a new future that Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell will help create.”