Hyundai Motor Company announced last year that it will make its XCIENT hydrogen fuel cell tractor available in the U.S. market in 2024 and is delivering on that promise with three weeks left in the year.
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), in cooperation with 3PL Glovis America, will deploy 21 XCIENT heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks for clean logistics operations.
Located in Bryan County, Georgia, HMGMA is Hyundai Motor Group's first dedicated electric vehicle mass-production plant.
The trucks will transport vehicle parts from HMGMA suppliers across the region to the Megasite daily. During the initial rollout, XCIENT trucks will transport parts between suppliers and the on-site Consolidation Center before eventually expanding to a broader network of suppliers.
The 21 XCIENT vehicles will represent more than one-third of the Glovis America truck fleet at HMGMA.
Hyundai Motor Group earlier this year announced HTWO, its new hydrogen value chain business brand encompassing the group's businesses and affiliates that enable each stage of the hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to transportation and utilization.
"HMGMA's deployment of XCIENT for logistics and operations is one of the main initiatives of HTWO," said Jim Park, senior vice president of commercial vehicle and hydrogen business development for Hyundai Motor North America. "This is delivering on our strategy and vision to showcase a closed-loop hydrogen logistics ecosystem and improve the environmental sustainability of manufacturing operations."
HTWO Logistics, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Glovis America, will also install a mobile hydrogen refueling station at the Megasite for refueling. A hydrogen production and refueling station is being developed for the Megasite.
