Hyundai says this fuel cell semi will be ready by 2019 but who’s going to use it exactly?
Hyundai has been in the news so much as of late thanks to their innovative new product offerings that even this one shocked me a bit. As per Car Scoops on their report on the South Korean automaker’s leap even further into the hydrogen fuel cell foray earlier yesterday (Sept. 13,2018) they’ve got a fuel cell semi truck on the way by next year. That’s right, skip over charging one up via electricity, this one’s got a giant fuel cell tank on board filled with high-pressure hydrogen gas. Check out their rendering of what it’ll look like below.
Hyundai to Launch Fuel Cell Electric Semi Truck in 2019 – https://t.co/r6pZxzmflW pic.twitter.com/vyH8s1LJKL
— AutoGuide.com (@AutoGuide) September 13, 2018
Designed with a cab-over market in mind (e.g. Europe, Japan, and pretty much all of South. East Asia) the concept rendering was rather easy to mock up, it’s one giant rectangle from grill to the rear of the trailer. The largest aerodynamic bit I can make out is a near gapless transition from the rear of the truck to the beginning of the trailer. Then again, since this is a fuel cell vehicle, there’s no need for exhaust pipes. Tesla’s own semi does the same thing.
This Hyundai semi will make its debut at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, Germany. This isn’t the first time Hyundai has dabbled in hydrogen.
Back in 2012 their Hyundai ix35 based off the Hyundai Tucson was a fuel cell SUV with a big enough tank good enough for 365 miles of range. A 0-60 MPH run of 12.5 seconds meant slow-goings, but hey, it’s hydrogen.
Earlier this year, Hyundai dropped their Nexo Fuel-Cell in South Korea with an MSRP of $31,000 heavily subsidized by a government grant. With 378 miles of range and Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai beating performance with a 0-60 MPH run time of 9.2 seconds, this FCV easily got over 733 units pre-ordered before production even began.
So, Hyundai’s got some experience with Hydrogen which will transfer over to their semi.
Hyundai is no newcomer to trucks, anyways. Hyundai got into the heavy-duty hauling game back in 2013 with their Xcient lineup so they’re no stranger to pulling heavy things.
Earlier this week I blogged about how fragile the Hydrogen refueling infrastructure really is. If they can’t get it right in Southern California, can they get it right with these large semis elsewhere in the world?
