Hyundai hydrogen trucks US bound

Hyundai says it has secured two important trials of its Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell hydrogen truck in the US, with one representing the largest deployment of Class 8 hydrogen trucks to date. 

The Korean manufacturer says it will deliver 30 examples of its Hyundai XCIENT to its ‘NorCAL ZERO’ project from the second quarter of 2023, after recently gaining $US29m in grants – $US22m from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), and a further $US7m from the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 

Hyundai says the project will utilise the heavy-duty XCIENT in a 6x4 format, with its hydrogen fuel cell drive system affording a maximum range of 800 kilometres. 

The NorCAL ZERO project will see the trucks pressed into service in northern California and supported by a high-capacity hydrogen refueling station to be established in Oakland, near San Francisco. 

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Hydrogen transition 

“We are proud to fund this hallmark deployment of 30 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and improve the air quality in Northern California,” said Hannon Rasool, Deputy Director of Fuels and Transportation Division at the California Energy Commission. 

“These investments will support zero-emission trucks and infrastructure development and deployment as part of the US market ecosystem. Public and private project partners have come together to take a big step forward in decarbonising freight and goods movement, as part of CARB and CEC’s clean air initiatives.” 

In related news, Hyundai has also received a $US500,000 grant to demonstrate two heavy-duty XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in Southern California, with the prime movers to haul freight between warehouses over a 12-month period starting from next month (August). 

Largely funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the trial will also see Hyundai partner with First Element Fuel to utilise three hydrogen refueling stations in the region. 

Gaining momentum 

The announcements are further proof that Hyundai is ramping up efforts in transitioning from diesel to electric via hydrogen fuel cell technology in the commercial vehicle sphere, and follow on from the delivery of 46 rigid Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Switzerland last year. 

Those trucks have already covered a cumulative total of one million kilometres in 11 months of service, the company says, and spearhead a promise of the delivery of 1600 units to Europe by 2025.  

Hyundai says the XCIENT trucks in Switzerland have reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tonnes, compared with equivalent diesel-powered trucks over the same period.