Hyundai awarded funding for demo hydrogen trucks

Hyundai New Zealand has received $500,000 from round nine of the Government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund (LEVCF) administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

The fund offers up to $6.5 million to projects that will accelerate the uptake of EVs and other low emission vehicles.

The co-funding will help support Hyundai New Zealand to purchase and deploy an initial fleet of five zero emission hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) trucks into New Zealand and enter real-world daily logistics operations.

“We have long been a champion locally for the use of electric vehicles and alternative fuel technologies, and now have an opportunity to help fast track the large scale adoption of alternative green fuels in the New Zealand road freight sector,” Hyundai New Zealand general manager Andy Sinclair says.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate FCEVs as a heavy duty, reliable, cost effective replacement for diesel trucks and produce evidence of which contexts they have advantages over battery electric, being primarily longer range, shorter refuelling time and greater payload.  

“The project will allow us to gain insight with vehicle efficiencies and driving range while in-service with two types of configurations in the form of a rigid truck application and/or combination trailer towing applications,” Sinclair says.

“EECA considered there was value in supporting the project, as it will provide rich data on the viability, supply of fuel and vehicles and operational cost comparatives in the New Zealand heavy freight transport context,” EECA’s transport portfolio manager Richard Briggs says,

Hyundai Motor Company and Swiss company H2 Energy with the support of the Swiss Government entered into a joint venture and formed the Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility in 2019. The first shipment of fuel cell electric trucks (known as Xcient FCEVs) are in operation on Swiss roads as part of a 1600 unit delivery programme by 2025.

The production of the Xcient FCEV for Switzerland, has enabled Hyundai New Zealand to work closely with Hyundai Motor Company to order a minimum of five FCEV trucks.

Hyundai New Zealand is expecting to receive the first Xcient FCEV by the end of the year, whereby it will then undergo some local modifications to further suit New Zealand requirements before entering the trial programme.

In early 2022, the Hyundai Xcient FCEV will be introduced into an on-road (in-service) trial programme with some progressive New Zealand companies committed to leading the decarbonisation of the transport and logistics sector.

This will ensure that multiple major New Zealand truck fleets become directly familiar with FCEV trucks to allow them to consider replacing their diesel trucks with clean alternatives. Every Xcient FCEV reduces about 62-tonnes* of CO2 per year from being emitted into our environment.

These heavy-duty FCEV trucks once on the road will make use of Hyundai’s own local refueller based in Auckland and utilising other hydrogen refuelling stations from other local partners once they are operational.

*Based on 80,000kms per year

Technical Data

Fuel Cell System (Hyundai)	Max. power 190kW (95kW stack X 2)
Driving Motor (Siemens)	Max. power 350kW (3,400Nm)
Transmission (Allison)	ATM S4500 / 6 forward and 1 reverse
High-Voltage Battery Pack	661V / 73.2kWh (24.4kWh X 3)
Hydrogen Storage System	Tank capacity 32.09kg
Refuelling	8-20 minutes (Based on 350 bar tank pressure)
Emissions	Zero harmful emissions
Driving Range	Up to 400km

Max. Gross Combination Weight

40T as pull-cargo