This is a hydrogen-powered big rig that might very well be the future of trucking.
From a company not normally known for its presence in the commercial vehicle sector, Hyundai brings us the HDC-6 Neptune Concept. It's a big rig transport truck that represents the Korean carmaker's first forays into the commercial trucking market in America.
A Class 8 heavy-duty truck, the Neptune is powered by hydrogen... somehow. Hyundai didn't really provide any details as to how exactly hydrogen gets turned into locomotion, but we're assuming it's the same way as a normal hydrogen fuel cell, which combines hydrogen and oxygen to form water and energy. The water gets emitted as vapor while the energy is transferred into batteries which are then used to power the truck's systems.
We have got nothing to go on because Hyundai didn't tell us. What we do know is that the Neptune's overall design was inspired by the streamliner railway trains from the late '30s and that the enormous grille that wraps around the entire bottom half of the truck is necessary for the powertrain's cooling.
We know a little bit more about the Neptune's trailer, which has its own name: the HT Nitro ThermoTech Concept. Built in collaboration with Air Liquide, it uses a cryogenic nitrogen refrigeration technology system that helps the trailer get cooler faster and maintain it's refrigerated temperatures even if the truck is off or idling.
The system is "virtually noiseless," making it ideal for late-night deliveries or deliveries in residential neighborhoods. Everything but the floor is made of a single panel of Fiber Reinforced Polymer skins that make it stronger and better insulated than a traditional trailer.
Best of all, the ThermoTech trailer is 90% more carbon-efficient than regular refrigerated trailers.
The HDC-6 Neptune and HT Nitro ThermoTech Concepts were revealed at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in a press conference on Tuesday. Both are part of Hyundai's Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle 2030 Vision to increase the deployment and usage of hydrogen fuel technology over the next decade.