Hyundai: Gebrüder Weiss take first hydrogen truck into test

The Austrian logistics service provider Gebrüder Weiss has begun using hydrogen technology with a Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell at its Altenrhein branch in Switzerland. The hydrogen truck has been part of the vehicle fleet since last Monday and, instead of being fueled with diesel, it is refueled with "Green Hydrogen," the logistics company announced today, Thursday. With the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell model, around 80 tons of CO₂ emissions could be saved annually. The 36-ton truck is designed to transport about 25 tons of goods and has a range of around 600 kilometers. The truck is powered by a 350-kilowatt electric motor that is supplied with electricity through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.

The Swiss hydrogen refueling station network is in development, but already allows for use throughout Eastern Switzerland, it was stated. The hydrogen truck is expected to be primarily used for a customer in the renewable energy sector in the future.

"The coronavirus pandemic has somewhat moved the challenge of climate change out of the top headlines. In the logistics sector, we continue to work intensively with manufacturers on alternative propulsion systems. With the deployment of our first hydrogen truck, Gebrüder Weiss once again proves to be a leader in sustainable solutions. We want to gain experience with this technology to prepare for a possible broad practical use," said Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss.

According to the manufacturer, 2,000 such hydrogen trucks are expected to be produced and delivered by the end of this year. Gebrüder Weiss is proud to be among the first recipients of these vehicles worldwide, said Senger-Weiss. The company sees the H2 truck as an interesting alternative to existing propulsion technologies and plans to use it in Austria and southern Germany in the future, provided the infrastructure is in place.

For the Europe-wide operating logistics provider, the use of the hydrogen truck is another step towards testing environmentally friendly propulsion technologies in everyday logistics. Gebrüder Weiss has several gas-powered trucks in Austria, Germany, and Serbia, as well as fully electric trucks in the Vienna and Graz metropolitan areas. The company is also a member of the support association H2 Mobility Switzerland.