Hyundai Motor sells hydrogen-powered truck Xcient in S.Korea

Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday said it launched sales of its hydrogen-powered fuel cell truck Xcient Fuel Cell in South Korea.

The model is the world's first mass-produced large truck powered by hydrogen.

In October this year, the truck's cumulative mileage exceeded 5 million km two years after test runs in Switzerland began in October 2020.

In May 2020, the carmaker signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to boost cooperation in a pilot project to supply hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks. From December last year, the company conducted test runs in the Seoul metropolitan area and Yeongnam, a region covering the provinces of North and South Gyeongsang and the cities of Busan, Daegu and Ulsan.

Hyundai Motor completed verification of the truck's suitability on Korean roads through test runs. It plans to deliver the zero-emissions vehicle to customers from this month, earlier than its original plan to launch sales next year.

A major advantage of the Xcient Fuel Cell is that its fuel cell system is lighter than the battery of a regular electric-powered truck, a trait that allows higher mileage.

Compared to electric batteries, the Xcient's battery can be fully charged quickly, making it great for large commercial vehicles that go long distances.

The truck also has a 350-kw high-efficiency motor, 180-kw fuel cell stack and 72-kw hour high-voltage battery.

A single charge is good for a trip of 570 km.

With 476 horsepower and maximum torque of 2,237 Newton meters, the Xcient Fuel Cell is superior to the Xcient Diesel in the same class.

Xcient Fuel Cell also has a collision safety system that prevents additional accidents by cutting off electrical current and fuel if a side collision occurs. Its downhill cruise control reduces speed by automatically controlling the auxiliary brakes when going downhill.

On Wednesday, Hyundai Motor held a delivery ceremony for cleaning truck models of the Xcient Fuel Cell with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the municipal governments of Seoul, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, and Buan-gun County Office in North Jeolla Province.

Four Xcient Fuel Cell cleaning models will go to four regions for yearlong trials beginning this month.

A Hyundai Motor source said, "We expect our Xcient Fuel Cell to eventually lead the overall market for eco-friendly trucks," adding, "We will keep trying to have such trucks used in a wider variety of fields."

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com