Starting in 2020, the company exported 47 units of the hydrogen-powered, zero-emission commercial trucks to 23 Swiss companies, which are using them for logistics, distribution and supermarket fulfillment.
Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor Company, said it is the world’s first heavy-duty fuel cell truck to achieve 5 million km of cumulative driving in real-life customer operation.
He 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’ll expand this business throughout Europe.”
In 2019 Hyundai Motor established Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM) in partnership with Swiss company H2 Energy which partnered with H2 Mobility Switzerland Association, a hydrogen fuelling network builder and XCIENT customer, and green hydrogen production company Hydrospider.
The automotive company is playing a crucial role in creating an emission-free, green hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty truck ecosystem where vehicle supply, hydrogen fuelling, and green hydrogen production are organically connected.
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 fuel efficiency are tailored to the demands of commercial fleet customers.
The 350-kW e-motor with maximum torque of 2,237nm enables dynamic driving performance, and seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 31 kg of fuel, while a 72-kWh-powered set of three batteries supports the performance. The driving range is over 400km per charge and refuelling a full tank of hydrogen takes about 8-20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.