Hyundai Motor to expand its hydrogen-powered XCIENT Fuel Cells in the US
Climate change and ongoing supply chain issues will accelerate the transition to clean energy sources.
Hyundai Motor to detail plans for deploying 30 Class 8 6×4 XCIENT Fuel Cell tractors at the Port of Oakland for the NorCAL ZERO Project.
At the ACT Expo, it will share the progress of the NorCAL ZERO Project. Through the project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Truck, Hyundai Motor will deploy 30 Class 8 6×4 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty tractors at the Port of Oakland, Calif., in 2023.
Hyundai Motor views hydrogen as the clean energy solution for commercial vehicles, including vocational trucks that require a high amount of energy due to the convenience in production, transportation, distribution and storage. Hydrogen is an energy carrier with high density, allowing fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to provide sustained energy output suitable for long-haul driving and heavy loads.
Fuel cell electric commercial vehicles enhance work efficiency and lower infrastructure cost compared to battery electric vehicles (BEV) by minimizing downtime with shorter refuelling time. This has led the company to deploy a growing fleet of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, in Switzerland starting in 2020, which has achieved a cumulative range of 3.5 million km as of April 30, 2022.
With the US government’s significant investment and more players entering the hydrogen market, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for fuel cell electric vehicles will drop significantly in the coming years.
Mark Freymueller, Senior VP at Hyundai Motor Company, said, “We believe that there is no way around hydrogen to realize the energy transition towards renewables. And amongst others, it also offers already today a practical and viable solution to decarbonize the heavy-duty commercial vehicle sector providing excellent drive range, payloads and refueling time on our trucks.”
José Muñoz, President & COO of Hyundai Motor Company said, “Hyundai Motor is a leader in the hydrogen fuel cell market with decades of experience and proven expertise. Our proven record of success with commercial fuel cell programs in Korea and Europe has been critical to our launch of heavy-duty fuel cell trucks in North America.”
