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Hyundai Motor Details Plans to Expand into US Market with Hydrogen Powered XCIENT Fuel Cells at ACT Expo

hyundai motor hydrogen xcient fuel cells

Hyundai Motor details plans to expand into US market with hydrogen powered XCIENT fuel cells at ACT Expo.

Hyundai Motor Company emphasized its plan to ramp up the U.S. commercial vehicle market entry with XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks at the 2022 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo.

At the ACT Expo, the largest advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event, Hyundai Motor will share the progress of the NorCAL ZERO Project.

Through the project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Truck, Hyundai Motor will deploy 30 Class 8 6×4 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty tractors at the Port of Oakland, Calif., in 2023. 

The company also will take part in the Hydrogen Workshop panel discussion during the ACT Conference. Hosted under the theme, ‘Coming Around the Corner, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles,’ panelists will talk about the challenges and prospects of the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle market as well as policies and business plans.

As part of the panel, Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor Company, will talk about the company’s sustainable mobility solutions and business cases with other panelists. 

Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor Company said:

Our ultimate goal is to fight climate change and build a sustainable future.

“We are running out of time to limit global warming.”

“We believe that there is no way around hydrogen to realize the energy transition towards renewables. And amongst others, it also offers already today a practical and viable solution to decarbonize the heavy-duty commercial vehicle sector providing excellent drive range, payloads and refueling time on our trucks.”

Hyundai Motor views hydrogen as the clean energy solution for commercial vehicles, including vocational trucks that require high amount of energy, due to the convenience in production, transportation, distribution and storage.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier with high density which allows fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to provide sustained energy output suitable for long-haul driving and carrying heavy loads.

Fuel cell electric commercial vehicles enhance work efficiency and lower infrastructure cost compared to battery electric vehicles (BEV) by minimizing downtime with shorter refueling time.

This has led the company to deploy a growing fleet of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, in Switzerland starting in 2020, which now has achieved a cumulated range of 3.5 million km as of April 30, 2022. 

With the U.S. government’s significant investment and more players entering the hydrogen market, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for fuel cell electric vehicles will drop significantly in the coming years. Climate change and on-going supply chain issues will accelerate the transition to clean energy sources.

José Muñoz, President & COO of Hyundai Motor Company, said:

Hyundai Motor is a leader in the hydrogen fuel cell market with decades of experience and proven expertise.

“Our proven record of success with commercial fuel cell programs in Korea and Europe has been critical to our launch of heavy-duty fuel cell trucks in North America.”

“Deploying XCIENT Fuel Cell tractors at the Port of Oakland for the NorCAL ZERO Project is just the beginning of our goals as we work with partners to fight climate change and build a more sustainable future.” 

Hyundai Motor’s ACT Expo booth highlights its sustainable transportation logistics and technology leadership in the fuel cell electric vehicle market. 

Besides the booth and panel discussion and onsite vehicles, Hyundai Motor will also run a Ride & Drive program where visitors can experience the 6×2 XCIENT Fuel Cell tractor and 6×2 XCIENT Fuel Cell rigid truck.

ACT Expo is taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center in Southern California, from May 9–12, 2022. It brings together the transportation logistics community for four days of education on the fuels, technologies and policies driving the industry forward. 

About Hyundai Motor Company

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees dedicated to tackling real-world mobility challenges around the globe.

Based on the brand vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider.

The company invests in advanced technologies such as robotics and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to bring about revolutionary mobility solutions, while pursuing open innovation to introduce future mobility services. 

In pursuit of sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero emission vehicles equipped with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies.

Highlights:

  •  Hyundai Motor to detail plans for deploying 30 Class 8 6×4 XCIENT Fuel Cell tractors at the Port of Oakland for the NorCAL ZERO Project
  • For the U.S. commercial vehicle sector, Hyundai to leverage its successful hydrogen fuel cell expertise of its XCIENT Fuel Cell fleet in Switzerland 
  • Hyundai will also run a Ride & Drive program where visitors can experience the 6×2 XCIENT Fuel Cell tractor and 6×2 XCIENT Fuel Cell rigid truck

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Hyundai Motor Details Plans to Expand into U.S. Market with Hydrogen-powered XCIENT Fuel Cells at ACT Expo, May 10, 2022

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