Hyundai Xcient FCEV ready for California

Hyundai will deploy about 30 Class 8 fuel cell electric (FCEV) trucks for regional freight distribution in California.

A $500,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) also goes to Hyundai Motor to demonstrate in Southern California two Class 8 Xcient Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks.

Largely funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project contributes to clean air standards in the South Coast Air Basin by reducing emissions from diesel trucks.

The FCEV trucks will start operating there in August, used for long-haul freight operations between warehouses in southern California for a year.

First Element Fuel (FEF) will allow three hydrogen refuelling stations in the region to be used for the trucks.

Meanwhile, Hyundai’s NorCAL ZERO project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Trucks, will deploy 30 units of Class 8 Xcient Fuel Cell with a six-by-four drive axle configuration to Northern California by the second quarter of 2023.

It will be the largest deployment of Class 8 hydrogen-powered vehicles in the US, Hyundai adds.

Logistics service provider Glovis America will be the fleet operator while Macquarie’s Specialised and Asset Finance business, part of its Commodities and Global Markets division, will finance the trucks through a lease to the operator.

The US model provides up to 800km range and Hyundai says it will leverage insights gained from these public projects to develop its zero-emission commercial fleet business in the US and establish local partnerships.

A consortium led by the Centre for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Hyundai Motor recently won US$22 million in grants from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and US$7 million in additional grants from the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in support of this project.

“We are proud to fund this hallmark deployment of 30 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and improve the air quality in Northern California,” CEC Fuels and Transportation Division deputy director Hannon Rasool says.

“These investments will support zero-emission trucks and infrastructure development and deployment as part of the US market ecosystem. Public and private project partners have come together to take a big step forward in decarbonising freight and goods movement, as part of CARB and CEC’s clean air initiatives.”

The consortium also plans a high-capacity hydrogen refuelling station in Oakland, California that will be able to support as many as 50 trucks with an average fill of 30kg.

“The development of long-haul zero-emission truck technology is key to reducing emissions that will provide immediate benefits to our air and our communities,” South Coast AQMD governing board chair Ben J Benoit says.

Hyundai announced in 2020 its plan to deliver 1600 Xcient Fuel Cell trucks to Europe by 2025. The first 46 units were delivered to Switzerland last year and have driven more than one million kilometres in 11 months of service.

During that time, the fleet has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tonnes compared to diesel-powered vehicles.

Hyundai aims to provide diverse commercial vehicle line-ups powered by hydrogen.