Hyundai has launched its Xcient Fuel Cell truck in Europe and has already delivered the first seven units to customers in Switzerland.
Described as the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, the Xcient heralds Hyundai’s commercial truck expansion to global markets. The delivery of the first Xcient trucks marks the official entry of Hyundai’s truck division in Europe, with the North American and Chinese markets to follow.
The seven units delivered to customers in Switzerland are part of a larger batch of 50 units that will hit the roads there later this year. In total, Hyundai expects to supply 1,600 commercial fuel cell trucks in Europe by 2025.
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“The delivery of Xcient Fuel Cell starts a new chapter not only for Hyundai’s hydrogen push, but also the global community’s use of hydrogen as a clean energy source,” said In Cheol Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor.
“Today’s delivery is just a beginning as it opens endless possibilities for clean mobility. With successful delivery of the first Xcient Fuel Cell trucks, we proudly announce our plan to expand beyond Europe to North America and China where we are already making great progress.”
By 2021, Hyundai says it will be able to build 2,000 Xcient fuel cell trucks per year to support the expansion into Europe, the U.S. and China. The capacity increase will be made possible by a $1.3 billion investment in addition to a previously announced $6.4 billion stake in establishing a hydrogen ecosystem to support the creation of a hydrogen society.
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The 9,475-mm (373-in) long Hyundai Xcient is powered by a 190-kW (255-HP / 258 PS) hydrogen fuel cell system with dual 95-kW (127 HP / 129 PS) fuel cell stacks. Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 32.09 kg (70.7 lbs) of hydrogen. The driving range is about 400 km (248.5 miles), with a refueling time of approximately 8-20 minutes.
Speaking of refueling, Hyundai says it has a business case for more than 100 hydrogen fueling stations in Switzerland, which is enough not only for commercial vehicles, but also passenger fuel cell electric vehicles.
As for Hyundai’s U.S. expansion plans, the company will offer a production version of the HDC-6 Neptune Concept Class 8 heavy-duty truck and a 6×4 tractor model, with targeted sales of 12,000 fuel cell trucks by 2030. In China, Hyundai will offer three fuel cell electric trucks: a medium-duty truck and a heavy-duty truck in 2022, as well as another heavy-duty truck “strategically designed for the China market” later on. Hyundai’s target is to achieve combined sales of 27,000 units in China by 2030.
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