The Big Hyundai Surprise

October 23, 2019 Volume 1, Number 12

The North American Commercial Vehicle Show kicks off in just a few days, and it seems clear that one of the hits there at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta will come from an outfit we don’t know all that well. Namely, the Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea. They’re actually a big force in the commercial vehicles world, buses included. Hyundai manufacturers Class 2-8 trucks and buses at three international plants, with units currently sold in 130 countries around the world.

What we’ll see in Atlanta is the first unveiling of its concept for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric truck, to be known as the HDC-6 Neptune.

“We have cemented the fuel cell technology leadership position in the passenger vehicle sector with the world’s first commercially produced fuel cell EV and the second-generation fuel cell EV, the Nexo,” said Edward Lee, head of Hyundai’s commercial vehicle business division.

While the rendered image seen here offers a limited view, the HDC-6 Neptune clearly draws design cues from the streamliner railway trains of the 1930s with its Art Deco function-driven style. Hyundai says it will feature a unique construction and advanced in-cab technology. The interior is indeed very new and adventuresome.

This truck will be added to a portfolio that includes the Xcient truck that also runs on fuel cells.

Hyundai Translead (HT) is also scheduled to reveal a “high-performance refrigerated concept trailer” known as the HT Nitro ThermoTech at the NACVS. Based in San Diego, Calif., the company manufactures dry and refrigerated trailers as well as flatbeds, container chassis, and dollies. It was founded in 1989 is claimed to have led the trailer market since 2017.

HYUNDAI IS CLEARLY SERIOUS about both trucks and fuel cells. Will it bring trucks, not just technology, to North America? Looks possible, and if so, Nikola may have a formidable competitor, one with much, much deeper pockets.

Just a couple of weeks ago a partnership with Cummins was announced. More specifically, the two companies entered into a memorandum of understanding to “jointly evaluate opportunities” regarding the development and commercialization of fuel cell electric powertrains.

The two companies will marry Hyundai’s fuel cell systems with Cummins’ electric powertrain, battery, and control technologies. The initial development will be focused on the North American commercial vehicle market, including working with OEMs on the integration of these systems into their vehicles.

The companies will also explore ways they can work together to develop next-generation fuel cell systems. Beyond commercial vehicles, the companies will also evaluate the development of fuel cell power generators. Fuel cell back-up power generation is attractive for its reduced carbon footprint.

“With Hyundai’s global leadership in fuel cell systems coupled with Cummins’ unparalleled electrified powertrain technologies, we expect this partnership to leave a mark in the commercial vehicle market,” said Saehoon Kim, vice president and head of Hyundai’s Fuel Cell Group.

Hyundai opened the world’s first commercial production facility for fuel cell vehicles in 2013. It released the world’s first commercialized hydrogen-powered vehicle, the Tucson Fuel Cell, in 2015. The NEXO, Hyundai’s second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle with a range of over 610 km, is a three-row SUV. It just set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, by the way.