Hyundai Motor enters Israeli market for hydrogen-powered trucks

Hyundai Motor Co. is expanding in the Middle East through the debut in Israel of its hydrogen fuel cell truck line Xcient.

The carmaker on Tuesday said it will supply one unit of its 4X2 Xcient Fuel Cell Truck each to the Israeli sales agency Colmobil, hydrogen producer Bazan and hydrogen charging station operator Sonol. The model uses a 180-kw hydrogen fuel cell system to run more than 400 km on a single charge.

Israel wants to cut CO2 emissions 27% by 2030 and 85% by 2050 from 2015 levels, and to this end, the three Israeli companies last year signed an agreement with Hyundai Motor last year to build a hydrogen value chain. Colmobil plans to use its Xcient truck for transporting components in next year's first quarter in what would be the Middle East's first commercially operated fuel cell truck.

Last year, Israel announced its targeted CO2 cuts of 27% by 2030 and 85% by 2050 from 2015 levels. Hyundai Motor will also joint this campaign by expanding the supply of Xcient trucks to the Middle East centered on Israel.

Mark Freymueller, senior vice president and head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor, called participation in early construction of hydrogen infrastructure in Israel in collaboration with major Israeli companies "an important milestone" for the Korean carmaker, adding that the hydrogen-powered Xcient trucks can greatly contribute to expediting Israel's energy transition.

As the world's first mass-produced large truck powered by hydrogen, the Xcient runs on the roads of Korea, Switzerland, Germany and New Zealand. In a period spanning two years and a month through October this year, 47 units of the vehicle in Switzerland achieved cumulative mileage of 5 million km.

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