Hyundai Motor Company has shipped the first 10 units of its XCIENT Fuel Cell – the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell heavy-duty truck – to Switzerland.
The company plans to ship a total of 50 XCIENT Fuel Cells to Switzerland this year, with handover to commercial fleet customers starting in September. The manufacturer said it is looking to roll out a total of 1600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks by 2025.
“XCIENT Fuel Cell is a present-day reality, not as a mere future drawing board project,” said In Cheol Lee, executive VP and head of commercial vehicle division at Hyundai Motor.
“Building a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem, where critical transportation needs are met by vehicles like XCIENT Fuel Cell, will lead to a paradigm shift that removes automobile emissions from the environmental equation.”
XCIENT is powered by a 190 kW hydrogen fuel cell system with dual 95 kW fuel cell stacks. Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 32.09 kg of hydrogen. Hyundai reckons the driving range for XCIENT Fuel Cell 4×2 is about 400 km on a single refuelling, operating at 34 tonnes in truck-and-trailer configuration. Refuelling time for each truck takes approximately 8-20 minutes.
Fuel cell technology is particularly well-suited to commercial shipping and logistics due to long ranges and short refuelling times, the manufacturer said. The dual-mounted fuel cell system provides enough energy to drive the heavy-duty trucks up and down Switzerland’s mountainous terrain.
In addition to XCIENT Fuel Cell, Hyundai Motor is developing a long-distance tractor unit capable of traveling 1000 km on a single charge. It will be equipped with an enhanced fuel cell system with high durability and power, aimed at global markets including North America and Europe.
