Fuel cell XCIENT racks up millions

  A fleet of fuel cell powered trucks has racked up more than 5 million kilometres. The XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks have been operat...

 

A fleet of fuel cell powered trucks has racked up more than 5 million kilometres. The XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks have been operating over the past two years in Switzerland. Starting in 2020, Hyundai exported 47 of the hydrogen-powered, zero-emission trucks to 23 Swiss companies which are using them for logistics, distribution and supermarket deliveries. The XCIENT Fuel Cell is equipped with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90kW fuel cell stacks. The system’s durability and the vehicle’s overall fuel efficiency are tailored to the demands of commercial fleet customers. The 350kW e-motor with maximum torque of 2237Nm enables dynamic driving performance. Its seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 31kg of fuel, while a 72kWh-powered set of three batteries supports performance. The driving range of the XCIENT is more than 400km per charge in real world conditions. Refueling a tank with hydrogen takes about 8 to 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature. “XCIENT Fuel Cell is the world’s first heavy-duty fuel cell truck to achieve 5 million km of cumulative driving in real-life customer operation,” Hyundai's Mark Freymueller said. “The experience we’ve gained and the milestone we’ve achieved in Switzerland will provide good insights to many countries that are preparing to transition to a sustainable hydrogen society. "Based on this proven track record of successful operation in Switzerland, we will expand this business throughout Europe.” In 2019, Hyundai established Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM) in partnership with Swiss company H2 Energy. It partnered with H2 Mobility Switzerland Association, a hydrogen fueling network builder and XCIENT customer and green hydrogen production company Hydrospider. In August this year, Hyundai entry into a further agreement with seven Germany companies that plan to deploy XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks into fleet service, with support from the German government’s funding for an eco-friendly commercial vehicle initiative. More recently, Hyundai secured the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s 2021 Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG) funding to deploy further XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in California, in addition to 30 trucks which will be rolled out in the NorCal Zero project starting their operation in the Port of Oakland mid next year.

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