Global shipping provider GLS has successfully completed 30,000 kilometers in its evaluation of the 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 2024, 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.
A Hyundai Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck with an Allison 4500 R fully automatic transmission has been part of the GLS Germany parcel service fleet since the end of 2023.
“We are open to new technologies and want to explore the various options,” says Oualid Hamza, GLS operations manager. “The main thing for us is that it works. 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-kW fuel cell units. Two fuel cell units feed a 350-kW electric motor (2,237 newton-meters), which is coupled with an Allison fully automatic transmission for fast acceleration without loss of tractive power.
“It is great how agile the truck is and how easily and precisely it can be maneuvered thanks to the automatic transmission,” says Gero Liebig, GLS regional manager. “The truck is really fun to drive. It is almost as quiet as an electric vehicle, which means that night deliveries are possible at any time, even in populated areas. That gives us flexibility.”
Allison’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, maximizing range and efficiency and helping to reduce vehicle costs.
