Germany, the largest commercial vehicle market in Europe, will receive 27 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks from Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai will export following the funding received from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) to Seven German companies in the logistics, manufacturing, and retail sector. BMDV is making progress with digital transformation as it invests in renewable infrastructure. Its aim is a carbon-neutral mobile future and to ensure Germany is ready for future challenges.
In August 2021, BMDV received approval from the European Commission to launch funding guidelines for commercial vehicles with alternative drive systems. Alternative drive systems include fuel cells, batteries, and hybrid electric vehicles. The fund will cover charging, refueling infrastructure, and application feasibility studies. The seven German companies’ applications received approval after applying with Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cells, proving the product’s competitiveness. BMDV has a budget of 1.6 billion euros to import eco-friendly commercial vehicles till 2024.
Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing, said: ‘In order to achieve our climate protection goals in transport, we need CO2-neutral technologies in transport. We support local transport companies in switching to alternative drives and providing them with the appropriate infrastructure. We have planned a total of 1.25 billion euros for this by 2024. Our goal is that by 2030, every second city bus should be electric. We want to come to a step closer to this with the second call for funding, and this time we are deliberately focusing on medium-sized companies.’
Hyundai Motor Company will leverage this success to expand into the European commercial vehicle market. Hyundai’s subsidiary, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility(HHMG), will participate in the coming funding program. HHMG is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Swiss company H2 Energy created this year to become established in the commercial vehicle market in Germany. It is responsible for selling Hyundai’s fuel cell vehicles in the local market, creating a link to the EU economic area.
XCIENT Fuel Cell Truck Specifications
The XCIENT Fuel Cell has two 90-kW fuel cell stacks in a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system. It has seven hydrogen tanks, which offer a combined storage capacity of about 31kg of hydrogen. It also has an additional 72-kWh-powered set of three batteries. The truck is tailored to meet the durability and efficiency demands of commercial vehicle customers. The driver needs about 8 to 20 minutes to fill up the hydrogen tank, depending on the atmospheric temperature. After a full charge, it provides a maximum driving range of 400km. Drivers should expect a dynamic driving experience from this efficient e-motor with maximum torque of 2,237 Nm.
‘We are glad to now also officially enter the German commercial vehicle market with our heavy-duty fuel cell electric truck, the XCIENT Fuel Cell. Hyundai Motor, which is recognized as the leader in hydrogen fuel cell technology will leverage this opportunity to expand our business into the wider European market by successfully supporting Germany’s efforts to achieve its carbon neutral goals,’ said Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation of Hyundai Motor Company.
XCIENT Fuel Cell was launched in 2020, becoming the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-electric heavy-duty truck. Hyundai has supplied 23 different customers in Switzerland. Forty-seven units of XCIENT in Switzerland have accumulated over four million kilometers in driving.
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