[RahulNagaraj]

Hyundai has announced that its fleet of XCIENT fuel cell trucks has collectively crossed 1 million (10 lakh) kilometres of driving in just 11 months in Switzerland.



The fleet of 46 hydrogen fuel cell trucks, has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tons, compared to its diesel-powered counterparts, over the past 11 months. The XCIENT fleet is said to be the world's first mass-produced heavy-duty fuel cell trucks and is already in service for 25 Swiss-based companies.

The fuel cell trucks were first launched by Hyundai back in 2019. The company revealed the new-generation version of the heavy-duty trucks earlier this year, featuring a new design and improved performance. The new set of trucks are available in either a 4x2 or 6x2 rigid body configuration.



Hyundai has also announced that it will be shipping 140 units of its 2021 model to Switzerland by the end of the year. The company aims to grow its hydrogen fuel cell truck fleet to 1,600 units by 2025.

Hyundai entered a joint venture with a Swiss-based Company, H2 Energy, to create Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility. This JV leases out its fuel cell trucks for commercial purposes on a pay-per-use basis.



HHM is now planning to expand to other European markets sometime next year, with Germany and Netherlands said to be the first to receive the XCIENT fleet.

Apart from the XCIENT fleet, Hyundai is also planning to expand to truck tractors, with North America being considered as the first market, for testing and launch.

Link to Team-BHP news

[haisaikat]

This is surely promising. I always consider my bet on HFC than over EV as the future.

Quoting below from the specifications of the XCent Trucks, of course like all other standards these are under ideal circumstances like all other type of vehicles

Xcient Fuel Cell reaches a drive range around 400 km per charge
*in the 4 x 2 rigid body configuration while towing an 18-ton trailer

Xcient Fuel Cell can be charged within 8-20 minutes*
per single charge

[Everlearner]

This news will surely provide a much needed boost to HFC industry. I'm happy to see that the world is not putting all its eggs in BEV basket.

I'm not sure how these HFC vehicles compare with diesel trucks from a costs(owning + operating) perspective. Is such a comparison available?

It can drive mass adoption only if it is commercially viable to replace existing diesel vehicles with these.

[TrackDay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ5gxuY9jn8

Good to know that the real world application of this technology is shaping up and is being put to use. Wonder how much the cost of operations vary from the traditional diesel ones. The transportation sector needs to go the alternative route quickly to tackle the rising cost of fuel prices which will impact consumers. Will be interesting to see how Mr. Elon Musk will respond to this progress.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

This is surely promising. I always consider my bet on HFC than over EV as the future.

I don't think so for cars, but for commercial vehicles, certain yes. Have read many convincing articles from experts who state that hydrogen is better than batteries for trucks, ships and maybe even airplanes. Far lighter kerb weight, longer range, quicker fill-ups (important for 24x7 trucks & buses), lesser downtime, systematic maintenance from the safety POV (fleets are more particular than the average car owner), can tank up from outside the main cities etc.