The Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell model delivered to the Altenrhein branch in Switzerland runs on ‘green hydrogen’, meaning that this commercial vehicle is able to save around 80 tons of CO2 emissions per year, according to the company.
“The coronavirus pandemic has diverted attention away somewhat from the climate change challenge, yet the logistics sector is continuing its work with manufacturers to find alternative ways of powering vehicles. Our aim is to gain experience using this technology to help us prepare for a situation where it may see wider use,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss.
The 36-ton 4x2 truck can transport around 25 tons of goods with a range of around 600km. The truck is powered by a 350 kilowatt electric motor, which is supplied with electricity by a chemical reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell.
The Swiss network of hydrogen filling stations is still being built, but it is comprehensive enough to enable use of such vehicles across the whole of eastern Switzerland, according to the company.
“We see the H2 truck as a viable alternative to other drive technologies that exist today and, given the right infrastructure, we intend to use it in Austria and southern Germany in the future,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss.
It reports that Hyundai is producing 2,000 such trucks in 2021.
The European operator also runs several gas-powered trucks in Austria, Germany and Serbia, as well as fully electric-powered trucks in the greater Vienna and Graz areas. Gebrüder Weiss is also a member of the H2 Mobility Switzerland Association, which designed and implemented the world’s first ecosystem for the practical use of hydrogen to power vehicles.