Hyundai Motor Company has revealed its heavy-duty, hydrogen-powered XCIENT fuel cell truck is set to enter Israel, its first Middle East market, to develop a regional hydrogen value chain.
Hyundai Motor sent three XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Israel as part of a collaboration between its Israeli agency Colmobil, hydrogen manufacturer Bazan, and hydrogen refuelling station operator Sonol to establish a hydrogen value chain in the country. The three heavy-duty vehicles will be delivered to Colmobil, Bazan, and Sonol, and will enter commercial service in the first quarter of 2023.
The first vehicle utilised for commercial operations in the Middle East is a 4x2 XCIENT truck given to Colmobil, which is outfitted with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system capable of travelling over 400km on a single charge. It will be utilised to obtain parts for Colmobil and will have a daily operating range of around 330km.
Hyundai Motor intends to hasten the development of a hydrogen value chain in Israel. The strategy is consistent with Israel’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which was revised in 2021 and commits to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 27 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050, compared to 2015 emission levels.
”We are thrilled to support the Israel government’s strong commitment to build a sustainable future with our hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty XCIENT Fuel Cell truck,” said Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation of Hyundai Motor Company. ”Establishing the first hydrogen infrastructure in Israel in close collaboration with the country’s key players marks a significant milestone in our efforts to build a sustainable hydrogen value chain around the world. We are confident that our fuel cell trucks will substantially contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition in Israel.”
The XCIENT Fuel Cell is the world’s first mass-produced heavy-duty hydrogen electric truck, and it is now in commercial usage in Germany, Switzerland, Korea, and New Zealand. The 47 units that have been in operation in Switzerland since October 2020 have accumulated over 5 million kilometres. In addition, during the third quarter of next year, Hyundai Motor will deploy five XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks for the 2021 Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG) programme and 30 units for the NorCAL ZERO project in the United States.
