Hydrogen rocks
About five years ago, the hype around electric trucks really gained momentum. No matter which trade show we attended, all the manufacturers were crowing about electric propulsion. This situation hasn’t quite changed – electric is still very much the name of the game. Although it must be said that it’s considerably more popular over short to medium distances …
But now another word is suddenly on everyone’s lips: hydrogen.
The first company to make headlines with this technology was Nikola. It’s already built and started testing hydrogen-powered trucks. They will come to market in 2023. (Watch this space for an article on Nikola in the near future.)
But recently, Hyundai made the surprise announcement that it had formed what it calls its Hydrogen Mobility Project, which promotes the introduction of a green hydrogen ecosystem in Switzerland – and ultimately in other European countries too. Central to this project is Hyundai’s H2 XCient fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck. The Hyundai H2 XCient fuel cell truck, which has been developed according to European regulations, features a new 190 kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 95 kW fuel cell stacks connected in parallel. It has an operational range of around 400 km thanks to seven tanks, each with a storage capacity of almost 35 kg of hydrogen at a pressure of 350 bar. Hyundai will be providing 1 600 fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) heavy-duty trucks to the Swiss commercial vehicle market (they will all be delivered by 2023).
This wasn’t Hyundai’s first hydrogen rodeo. In 2013, Hyundai launched the first mass-produced and commercially available FCEV – the Tucson. Its next hydrogen-powered vehicle, the Nexo, was launched in 2018. Also in that year, Hyundai invested USD 6.4 billion “to accelerate the development of a hydrogen society, looking beyond passenger vehicles”.
Why hydrogen?
Why the big deal with hydrogen? Why not stick to electric trucks? Well, for the time being, electric trucks are better suited to shorter distances. In order for an electric truck to run over vast distances, it requires lots of batteries. Batteries are extremely heavy, and heavy batteries equate to a lower payload. It can take a month of Sundays to recharge all those batteries. Plus, the batteries are currently still very expensive.
Hydrogen doesn’t quite have the same problems. In fact, fuel cells are the perfect fit for trucks travelling long distances because they offer an extended range, higher payload, reduced refuelling time and ultimately lower costs.
Enter the HDC-6 Neptune concept truck
These benefits are being fully exploited in Hyundai’s utterly stunning HDC-6 Neptune heavy-duty concept truck, which we first saw at last month’s North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show.
As the photographs show, it’s a real looker. In fact, it was undoubtedly the star attraction at the NACV Show (we didn’t realise that it was possible to make a truck look THIS cool!) One of the many remarkable aspects of the vehicle is that it’s neither a cab-over-engine nor a bonneted truck; it’s a bit of both. We chatted to the Hyundai team during their press conference and later on their stand and asked them where they drew the inspiration for the design. The answer surprised us: one of the key design inspirations for the HDC-6 Neptune was the stream trains that ran from 1936 until 1959 – the design team loved the fact that those trains had a great art deco and somewhat iconic design.
Basically, they started with a clean sheet. “The fuel cell powertrain gave us the opportunity to redefine the classical typology and architecture of the truck,” explained Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Design Officer of the Hyundai Motor Group. He added that the design team basically threw all previous standards out of the window in their desire to create the commercial vehicle of the future.
One of our favourite features of the truck is definitely its grille, which wraps around the truck. Apparently, it is more than just a design feature. “We found new ways to combine both form and function. The grille of the concept commercial vehicle was applied as the theme across the entire lower portion of the Hyundai HDC-6 Neptune. This creates a distinctive image while maximizing airflow. The grille concept also integrates the retractable steps, which are cleverly hidden,” he added.
The interior of the truck is as remarkable as its exterior. Hyundai is calling it a “personal studio space” – and it is really incredible. It looks a bit like a futuristic six-star hotel room – luxurious, upmarket and plush. The “feel” is quite Scandinavian – because it is clean yet elegant, and it boasts lots of beautiful light wood. Entertainment systems and technology abound; the windscreen, for instance, morphs into a television screen or computer monitor. “We created this interior because we want to allow drivers to maximise their work-life balance in the most effective and rewarding way,” one of the Hyundai team members told me on the stand.
That much they have achieved – and much, much more. If this concept truck sees the light of day, there will be endless queues of drivers begging for a chance to get behind the wheel.
