Hyundai Motors New Zealand is putting the Mighty Fuel Cell hydrogen light-duty truck on Kiwi roads for a 12-month pilot test programme.
This follows the introduction of its Xcient Fuel Cell heavy-duty truck in 2021, although the Mighty is substantially smaller.
It's equipped with a refrigerated fitout to "demonstrate how green onboard hydrogen energy can be utilised beyond vehicle propulsion" says the company. Over the next year, Hyundai NZ and "key customers" will evaluate its performance.
Featuring a 90kW fuel cell stack paired with a 65kW electric motor and 21kWh battery, the prototype Mighty Fuel Cell truck offers a driving range of approximately 500km and refueling time of 5-10min.
Hyundai's partnership with Hiringa Energy and Halcyon Power, which has recently launched the first hydrogen refueling network, will support the deployment with green hydrogen.
The hydrogen will be predominantly produced on-site at refueling stations using water and renewable electricity. The fuel is usually produced off-peak when energy demand is low.
The Xcient Fuel Cell truck has already covered over 90,000km on local roads with NZ Post, in full commercial operation since 2023.