Hyundai Motor Company announced that it is preparing to export its hydrogen-fueled heavy duty truck, the Hyundai XCient, to Germany which is one of the largest commercial vehicle markets in Europe.
Seven German companies in logistics, manufacturing and retail will put 27 Hyundai XCient trucks into fleet service with funding for green commercial vehicles from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).
“Hyundai Motor, recognized as a leader in hydrogen fuel cell technology, will take advantage of this opportunity to expand our business to a wider European market by successfully supporting Germany’s efforts to achieve its carbon neutral goals,” said Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head Hyundai Motor Company’s Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation in its official broadcast, Wednesday (3/8/2022).
The seven German companies mentioned above initially applied for funding with the Hyundai XCient hydrogen truck and managed to receive approval from BMDV which once again proves the competitiveness of the South Korean commercial vehicle product.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Swiss company H2 Energy, has also established Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility Germany GmbH (HHMG) to actively expand its entry into the hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle market in Germany.
To build a hydrogen ecosystem in the country, HHMG will operate local market sales and customer service and upfitter management in the European market. HHMG also plans to actively participate in the second funding program.
The Hyundai XCient is a heavy-duty truck with two hydrogen fuel cell systems producing 190 kW or 254 hp, coupled with an electric motor that produces 469 hp and 3,400 Nm of torque.
The power source is provided by three electric battery packs with a capacity of 73.2 kWh with seven hydrogen tanks with a capacity of 32 kg which are neatly arranged vertically just behind the cabin of the South Korean truck.
However, equipped with a 6-speed ATM 4500R automatic transmission, the environmentally friendly truck is claimed to be able to cover a distance of up to 500 miles or the equivalent of 804 km with a maximum speed of 85 kph.
Launched in 2020, the Hyundai XCient is the first mass-produced hydrogen electric heavy duty truck in the world. The truck has also collected more than 4 million km from 47 units deployed by the company in Switzerland in July 2022.
