Hyundai Motors brings hydrogen trucks to Israel

The first heavy-duty, hydrogen-powered vehicle to be used for commercial operations in the Middle East will be a 4x2 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck. (Photo: Hyundai Motor)

Hyundai Motor Company announced it has supplied three heavy-duty XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Israel as part of a partnership between its Israeli agency Colmobil, hydrogen producer Bazan and hydrogen refueling station operator Sonol as part of an initiative to form a hydrogen value chain in the country. The trucks will be handed over to Colmobil, Bazan and Sonol, and will be put into commercial operations in the first quarter of 2023.

The first heavy-duty, hydrogen-powered vehicle to be used for commercial operations in the Middle East will be a 4x2 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck delivered to Colmobil. It comes standard with a 350 kW e-motor and a 180 kW hydrogen fuel cell consisting of twin 90 kW stacks which enable a range of more than 400 km on a single charge. The vehicle will be used by Colmobil for parts procurement, with a daily operation range of about 330 km.

Hyundai Motor plans to accelerate the establishment of a hydrogen value chain in Israel align with Israel’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is committed to slashing national greenhouse gas emissions 27% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, relative to 2015 emissions levels.

“We are thrilled to support the Israel government’s strong commitment to build a sustainable future with our hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty XCIENT Fuel Cell truck,” said Mark Freymueller, senior vice president and head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation, Hyundai Motor Company. “We are confident that our fuel cell trucks will substantially contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition in Israel.”