Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its new XCIENT Fuel Cell tractor at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, California.
The XCIENT Fuel Cell is Hyundai's first commercialized Class 8 6x4 fuel cell electric model for the North American commercial vehicle market.
In addition, the South Korean automaker aims to promote carbon neutrality by creating an integrated hydrogen ecosystem.
Ken Ramirez, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Motor's Global Commercial Vehicle and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Business, emphasized the company's dedication to hydrogen mobility and promoting a clean hydrogen ecosystem. "Hyundai is uniquely positioned to cover all aspects and provide a seamless solution across the value chain," he said.
XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks' plan includes forming local partnerships in the U.S. to create a robust hydrogen value chain.
Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor discussed the company's goal to provide fleet operation solutions and expand the hydrogen value chain in the U.S. Hyundai aims to use its initial business entry as a beachhead for future partnerships and business expansion.
Hyundai Motor Group unveiled plans for an eco-friendly commercial vehicle business incubation project at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), an electric vehicle plant under construction in Georgia.
The project focuses on developing a hydrogen mobility value chain, with Metaplant incorporating an eco-friendly logistics system that integrates hydrogen fuel cell trucks and a complete hydrogen value chain.
The XCIENT fuel cell tractor has a proven reliability and performance track record, having been deployed in five countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Israel, South Korea, and New Zealand.
The model has successfully logged over 4 million miles to date.
The tractor is equipped with two 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell systems and a 350 kW electric motor, providing a range of over 450 miles per charge even when fully loaded.
Hyundai Motor sees hydrogen as the clean energy solution for commercial vehicles, especially heavy-duty trucks, due to its production, transportation, distribution, and storage advantages.
Furthermore, with the support of the U.S. government and more players entering the hydrogen market,
Hyundai Motor expects the total cost of ownership of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to decrease significantly and the transition to clean energy sources to accelerate.
The Hyundai Motor Group plans to develop a clean hydrogen ecosystem through a "waste-to-energy" concept using organic waste biogas to produce hydrogen for various industries, including transportation, construction, and power generation.
The Group is currently demonstrating the concept business model in cooperation with a local South Korean government and is considering expanding the demonstration to cities outside of South Korea.
