To date, the Korean manufacturer has delivered 47 Xcient FC trucks and 200 Elec City Fuel Cell buses. And it intends to keep up the momentum.
With nearly 250 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles deployed around the world, Hyundai estimates that it has saved 29,714 tonnes of CO2 compared with equivalent Diesel models. They also have a purifying effect on the surrounding air comparable to that which could be absorbed by 3,467 hectares of forest.

These trucks have travelled over 7 million km

You’re most likely to cross path with the Xcient Fuel Cell truck in Switzerland. There, their fleet has travelled more than 7 million km to date. This truck has also been exported to Germany, Israel and the United States. The Chinese market is a target as well. The truck’s range is 400 km, with 31 kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350 bars. A 180 kW fuel cell is coupled to a 350 kW engine and a 72 kWh battery. As for the buses, they have a 180 kW fuel cell and 34 kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 700 bar (in 5 tanks with a total capacity of 845 litres) for a range of 550 km. Propulsion is provided by a 180 kW motor and a 78.4 kWh battery.

A partnership with Iveco

In the field of commercial vehicles, a partnership has been initiated with Iveco. This will result in the development of a hydrogen version of the Daily van and the integration of H2 technology on buses.

The Hyundai trucks and bus website refers to the Korean giant’s vision for 2030. Hyundai has set the objective of producing 500,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles, with an intermediate target of 130,000 in 2025.

But volumes are not there yet. Since 2018, Hyundai has sold almost 32,000 units of the Nexo in its home country, which accounts for 90% of global sales. A new version of the Nexo is due out this summer, and a hydrogen-powered SUV, the Staria, is due to be launched at the end of the year. After 2025, the plan also calls for larger hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The intention is to broaden the target beyond cars to include commercial vehicles, boats and air travel.

Do you want to learn more about hydrogen heavy vehicles? Then our latest 2 articles on the subject should interest you. You can read them here and there. 

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King