Hyundai’s Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck has surpassed a total driving distance of 10 million kilometers in Switzerland, proving the world-class technology and reliability of hydrogen fuel cell systems.
This milestone was achieved just 3 years and 8 months after the Xcient, the world’s first mass-produced heavy hydrogen fuel cell truck, began operating in Switzerland in October 2020.
Currently, 48 Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks are in operation in Switzerland, equipped with a 180 kW hydrogen fuel cell system made up of two fuel cells and a drive motor with a maximum output of 350 kW, enabling a maximum range of 400 kilometers on a single charge.
Unlike conventional diesel commercial trucks, the Xcient hydrogen electric truck emits no carbon dioxide during operation, releasing only pure water instead.
A standard diesel commercial truck would emit approximately 6,300 tons of CO2 over 10 million kilometers, so the Xcient hydrogen electric truck effectively reduces carbon emissions by that much. This is equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of about 700,000 thirty-year-old pine trees, which roughly equates to creating a pine forest covering 508 hectares (5.08 million m2).
Notably, all Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks operating in Switzerland use only ‘green hydrogen,’ which produces no carbon emissions during its production, thereby contributing to the establishment of a global carbon-neutral ecosystem.
Furthermore, this achievement of accumulating 10 million kilometers of driving distance is expected to greatly aid in the advancement of hydrogen fuel cell systems based on vehicle data collected from the driving experiences and feedback of actual users.
Hyundai is continuously analyzing vehicle data related to driving distance, hydrogen consumption, and fuel cell performance from Xcient hydrogen electric truck operations, with the aim of advancing hydrogen fuel cell technology for various vehicles.
Meanwhile, at CES 2024 Media Day, Hyundai announced it would expand its existing hydrogen fuel cell system brand ‘HTWO’ into a hydrogen value chain business brand encompassing hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and utilization, thus speeding up the transition to a hydrogen society.
At the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo 2024 held in Las Vegas, USA, last May, Hyundai presented their hydrogen commercial value chain solution through the ‘California Port Eco-Friendly Truck Introduction Project,’ and unveiled plans for clean logistics transport centered around the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.
The ‘California Port Eco-Friendly Truck Introduction Project’ is a decarbonization initiative led by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), with Hyundai supplying 30 Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the latter half of last year as part of the project. This represents the largest single supply for North American transport providers, replacing existing high-emission trucks for container transport at the Port of Oakland and vehicle transport at the Port of Richmond.
The model supplied by Hyundai to the North American market is a large truck developed to suit the region’s characteristics of long-distance operations, featuring a 180 kW hydrogen fuel cell system and a maximum output drive motor of 350 kW, allowing it to travel over 720 kilometers on a single charge under maximum load conditions.
Thus, Hyundai’s Xcient hydrogen electric truck has been recognized for its reliability and eco-friendliness not only in Switzerland and the USA but also in 10 other countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and more.
Hyundai President Jang Jae-hoon stated at this year’s CES, “All technical advancements of Hyundai are aimed at enriching human life, and we will expedite the realization of a hydrogen society where clean hydrogen is used as energy for everyone, everything, and everywhere.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr