Hyundai delivers world’s first fuel cell heavy-duty truck to Switzerland

Hyundai Motor has just shipped 10 fuel cell electric trucks from its plant in South Korea to Switzerland. Dubbed as the “world’s first fuel cell heavy-duty trucks,” the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell commercial vehicles are all set to disrupt the green hydrogen mobility eco system in the Swiss region and beyond.

The 10 trucks are just the initial salvo of a batch of 50 XCIENT trucks destines for Switzerland this year, with handover to commercial fleet customers kicking off in September. Hyundai plans to produce a total of 1,600 XCIENT trucks by 2025.

The XCIENT trucks are powered by a 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 kgs of hydrogen. These power sources propel the commercial vehicle (CV) to 400kms in one refuel, which takes up to 20 minutes to go from empty to full.

Hyundai touts that fuel cell systems are especially good for commercial purposes because of the long range travel and short refueling times they afford. Additionally, Hyundai’s dual-mounted fuel cell system is particularly well-suited to the Swiss region’s mountainous terrain.

Aside from the XCIENT trucks, Hyundai Motor is developing a long-distance fuel cell tractor capable of traveling 1,000kms 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.

“XCIENT Fuel Cell is a present-day reality, not as a mere future drawing board project,” said In Cheol Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor. “By putting this ground-breaking vehicle on the road now, Hyundai marks a significant milestone in the history of commercial vehicles and the development of hydrogen society.”

“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,” Lee added.

In addition to the commercial vehicles, Hyundai is also incorporating fuel cell technology in its passenger cars, most notably the Nexo, its second-generation hydrogen-powered SUV.

We do have Hyundai trucks available locally, but all of them still sport the traditional diesel engine. Nonetheless, with environmental concerns growing everywhere including our country, we may very well see the likes of the XCIENT sold here soon.

Photos from Hyundai

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