GLS completes 30,000km in hydrogen Hyundai Xcient

Shipping firm GLS has successfully completed 30,000 kilometres with an Allison Transmission-equipped Hyundai Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck in Germany.

Since late 2023, GLS Germany has delivered over 100,000 packages with the Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell 6×2 truck equipped with an Allison 4000 Series fully automatic transmission in the greater Cologne area.

Additionally, since March this year the truck has been used for long-distance trips between Cologne and Mannheim. For the Europe-wide parcel service, this hydrogen truck trial is a further step in the testing of environmentally friendly propulsion technologies in everyday logistics.

“We are open to new technologies and want to explore the various options. The main thing for us is that it works,” said Oualid Hamza, operations manager, GLS. “The vehicle itself works well. There have been no problems or breakdowns.”

The three-axle vehicle with a steered rear axle, which can transport up to 1,300 parcels per trip, is powered by a 180-kilowatt (241 horsepower) hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90-kilowatt fuel cell units.

The two fuel cell units feed a 350-kilowatt electric motor (2,237 newton-metres), which is coupled with an Allison fully automatic transmission for fast acceleration and no loss of tractive power.

Allison Transmission’s patented torque converter multiplies the drive motor’s torque at startup, allowing the Xcient to operate with a smaller and less powerful drive motor, maximising range and efficiency and helping to reduce vehicle costs.