Hyundai believes that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will play an important part in the mobility industry and at a recent event in Anaheim, California, showcased the commercialized version of the class 8 XCIENT fuel cell truck in the U.S. for the first time.
The automaker first launched the XCIENT fuel cell markets back in 2020 in Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Korea, and New Zealand and over the past three years, examples have been driven over a combined 4 million miles. The version displayed in California is the 6×4 variant that features a pair of 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell systems as well as a 350 kW electric motor. It has a driving range of over 450 miles (724 km) with a maximum 82,000 lbs (~37,000 kg) load.
This fuel cell system was developed by Hyundai’s hydrogen energy business, HWTO, which also manufactures its proprietary fuel cell systems for air mobility, automobiles, vessels, and trains.
While Hyundai did not reveal when the XCIENT will hit the roads of the U.S., it noted that it plans to establish a strong hydrogen valve chain in the U.S. This effort will be led by the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility in Georgia, already designated as the brand’s only dedicated EV factory in the U.S. This facility will be capable of producing up to 300,000 EVs annually and will include an eco-friendly logistics system and also use hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
Read: Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Truck Lands In Israel To Help Cut Emissions
“We firmly believe that hydrogen is one of the most powerful and pragmatic solutions for achieving our vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ with emission-free mobility as a fundamental pillar for a sustainable society,” executive vice president and head of Global Commercial Vehicle and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Business at Hyundai Motor, Ken Ramirez said.
“Our hydrogen fuel cell technology has pioneered the industry, with a real-world proven track record of its efficiency and durability. We are leveraging these merits to further transform transportation with hydrogen energy for a broad range of mobility applications, including commercial vehicles, marine vessels and even air mobility. We now look beyond mobility toward an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, from production of hydrogen to its storage, transport and delivery. Hyundai is uniquely positioned to cover all aspects and deliver a seamless solution across the value chain,” Ramirez added.
