Hyundai’s Xcient hydrogen truck to debut in Germany

Hyundai Motor said Tuesday that its Xcient Fuel Cell, the world’s first mass-produced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen, will make its debut in Germany as part of the carmaker’s efforts to expand its presence in the largest commercial vehicle market. 

A total of 27 units of Xcient trucks will be delivered to seven local companies in the logistics and manufacturing sectors. This will be the second time that Hyundai has exported its fuel-cell truck to Europe after it clinched a deal with 23 corporate fleet clients in Switzerland. 

Hyundai in April set up a sales branch solely dedicated to hydrogen-powered trucks, called Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility Germany, in April, to appeal to local clients ahead of the German government’s then-upcoming subsidiary for eco-friendly commercial vehicles. 

Xcient Fuel Cell, the hydrogen version of its popular Xcient truck, is equipped with a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90-kW fuel cell stacks. Weighing 42 metric tons, the fuel cell truck’s system durability and overall fuel efficiency have been newly modified for a heavy-duty truck model to meet the demands of commercial fleet customers. The 350-kW e-motor allows a maximum travel of 400 kilometers per single charge. 

Hyundai Motor said that with Xcient fuel cell penetrating Germany’s hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicle market, it would diversify marketing and promotion activities via its local sales branch and form a service network to establish a related ecosystem. 

“We will actively support the German government’s carbon neutrality goals and expand our business in the European market in line with such measures,” said Mark Freymueller, senior vice president at Hyundai’s commercial vehicle business innovation division. 

Following launches in Germany and Switzerland, the carmaker said it plans to extend the sales network of the hydrogen truck to other European countries such as Austria, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)