The Xcient truck, including a loaded trailer and full hydrogen tanks, is rated to carry a gross weight of 82,000 pounds, making it about the equivalent of a traditional diesel big rig. It uses two stacks adapted from Hyundai’s Nexo fuel cell crossover with adjustments to fit commercial vehicle usage.
The system converts hydrogen to electricity to run the powertrain. Hyundai said the truck would have a range of about 450 miles with a full load. The powertrain generates 469 hp and 1,650 pound-feet of torque.
But it will require a significant fueling network to work in the U.S. There is almost none. The nation has about 60 hydrogen fueling stations, all in California, according to the Department of Energy. The freight and logistics industry will need hundreds more across the interstate highway system to deploy the technology.
Hyundai said it is starting work on that issue.
In the regions where the Xcient currently operates, the company offers hydrogen refueling and truck maintenance, said Mark Freymueller, Hyundai’s head of commercial vehicle business innovation.
“Here in the U.S., we plan to do the same since each case needs its tailor-made service approach, especially during the transition phase from traditional to hydrogen,” Freymueller said.
Additionally, Hyundai said it is working to develop a clean hydrogen ecosystem through a waste-to-energy process that relies on biogas extracted from organic matter such as food waste, livestock manure and sewage sludge. It has a demonstration project with a local government entity in South Korea.
The automaker, part of a large industrial group, said the company is looking at how hydrogen energy could apply to many transportation modes, including light and commercial vehicles, ships and aircraft.
“We now look beyond mobility toward an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, from production of hydrogen to its storage, transport and delivery,” Ramirez said.
