Hyundai takes step closer to North American launch of fuel cell trucks
SEOUL, South Korea – Hyundai has delivered its first seven hydrogen fuel cell Xcient Class 8 trucks to customers in Switzerland, and reaffirmed plans to bring the truck to the North American market.
The Korean truck manufacturer says it plans to produce 2,000 units per year by 2021, for customers in Europe, the U.S. and China.
“The delivery of the Xcient Fuel Cell starts a new chapter not only for Hyundai’s hydrogen push, but also the global community’s use of hydrogen as a clean energy source,” said In Cheol Lee, executive vice-president and head of the commercial vehicle division at Hyundai Motor. “Today’s delivery is just a beginning as it opens endless possibilities for clean mobility. With successful delivery of the first Xcient Fuel Cell trucks, we proudly announce our plan to expand beyond Europe to North America and China where we are already making great progress.”
Hyundai says it is investing US$1.3 billion into the project, in addition to a previously announced US$6.4 billion investment to built out a hydrogen ecosystem to support the trucks.
The company says it will bring a 6×4 tractor configuration to the North American market, and it expects there to be more than 12,000 fuel cell trucks on American roads by 2030.
The Xcient features a 190-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with dual 95-kW fuel cell stacks. Seven hydrogen tanks can house 32.09 kg of hydrogen. The driving range is about 400 km.
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400 km driving range?? Hydrogen cells take 3x’s the energy to use and less range. Remember HDD vs Bluray wars it like the same hydrogen vs electric powered vehicles, electric wins.