11 minute read
Moving Metrics
THE SALES NUMBERS
New Zealand Trucking reveals how the economy is travelling via key metrics from the road transport industry. From time to time, we’ll be asking experts their opinion on what the numbers mean.
Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in 2021
This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal.
The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.
Vehicle type
This summary includes data from two heavytruck classes and one heavy-trailer class.
A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) is constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and (b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.
Vehicle class
NB
(medium- goods vehicle) NC
(heavy-goods vehicle) TD
(heavy trailer)
Description
A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes. A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes.
A table of all vehicle classes can be found in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 https://www. nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicledimensions-and-mass-2016-as-at-1-june-2019.pdf
First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for October by major manufacturer
“Others” include
Make Units sold Market share
Fiat 500 15.3%
Foton 171 5.2%
Volkswagen 195 6.0%
Total first registration for NC class vehicles by year by supplier
This information is put together from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA for providing this information to us.
ROAD USER CHARGES
RUC purchase for 2021, all RUC types
A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/licensing-rego/ road-user-charges/ruc-rates-and-transaction-fees/ Please note data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.
In 2021 there were 49 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 16,046,928,628km at a value of $2,232,551,444.
A note on electric vehicles: The Ministry of Transport website says that at the end of November 2021 there were 35,565 electric vehicles registered in New Zealand. It is not possible to determine the impact of these on the value or distance of Road User Chargers purchased. An electric vehicle is one that is powered by an electric motor from an on-board battery which can be charged from an external source. A hybrid vehicle that has no provision for external charging is not an electric vehicle.
Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 01 January 2018 and 31 December 2021 by purchase year Purchase period Distance purchased (km) Value of purchases
1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018 15,736,558,458 $1,875,364,397 1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019 16,166,434,103 $2,041,939,272 1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020 15,421,400,378 $2,069,615,049 1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021 16,046,928,628 $2,232,551,444
RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles Purchase period Distance purchased (km) Average monthly distance (km)
RUC type 1 vehicles are powered vehicles with two axles (except type 2 or type 299 vehicles. Type 299 are mobile cranes). Cars, vans and light trucks that use fuel not taxed at source (i.e. diesel fuel) are generally in this RUC type.
RUC purchases all RUC types
RUC Type Description
2 Powered vehicles with one single-tyred spaced axle and one twin-tyred spaced axle 6 Powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles) 43 Unpowered vehicles with four axles 14 Powered vehicles with four axles (except type 408, 414 or type 499 vehicles) 951 Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles
H94 Towing vehicle that is part of an overweight combination vehicle consisting of a type 14 RUC vehicle towing a type 951 RUC vehicle with a permit weight of not more than 50,000kg 33 Unpowered vehicles with three twin-tyred, or single large-tyred, close axles (except vehicle type 939) 408 Towing vehicles with four axles that are part of a combination vehicle with a total of at least eight axles
By comparing distance purchased during 2021 with previous years’, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.
Average monthly RUC purchases by year (all RUC types)
RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types
Tanks mounted over the rear of the chassis for transportation purposes.
HYUNDAI’S HYDROGEN
HEAVY IS HERE
Story by Gavin Myers and Carl Kirkbeck Photos by Carl Kirkbeck
It’s a reflection of New Zealand’s commitment to alternative fuels that our tiny market has the distinction of being just the third, after Switzerland and Hyundai’s homeland of South Korea, to get the hydrogen-powered Hyundai Xcient FCEV. We got to see it up close and learn of Hyundai’s plans.
For the past 22 years, Hyundai has invested in and developed its hydrogen technology and roadmap-to-the-future portfolio of environmentally friendly vehicle solutions. Since 1998, it has invested more than US$9.8 billion (about $14.5 billion) in technology, talent, design and business partnerships.
The result has been numerous battery and hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric vehicles across its passenger car and commercial vehicle range. The company’s first commercially available truck is this, the Xcient FCEV.
Andy Sinclair, CEO of Hyundai Motors New Zealand, says Hyundai has decided to start its largescale commercialisation of hydrogen vehicles with commercial vehicles. Hyundai plans to be the first global manufacturer to apply fuelcell technology across all its commercial vehicles by 2028, he says.
“These are large emitters of CO2. Hyundai believes using hydrogen and electric vehicles across all forms of transport will make the biggest impact in the shortest time. Vehicles move more freight and cargo than they do people, so by concentrating on vehicles that carry freight or move lots of people at once, we can do the most good in the shortest time as the technology continues to evolve.
“In New Zealand, heavy transport makes up 4% of the national fleet and is responsible for 25% of transport emissions, so for us, it’s a great place to start,” Sinclair says. “We will partner with other businesses that share a similar vision and help accelerate the uptake of FCEV technology in New Zealand.”
To make the trial happen, Hyundai New Zealand has partnered with EECA and the New Zealand Hydrogen Council.
In April 2022, five Xcient FCEVs will likely be in service.
An engine? No, the hydrogen fuel-cell stack.
The electric motor is paired with a six-speed Allison autobox.
Hyundai will kick off the programme with Swiss-spec trucks, converted to New Zealand spec. “It’s our full intention to commercialise hydrogen trucks in New Zealand following the trial,” Sinclair adds.
How does it work?
This trial could run for as long as eight to 10 years, says Grant Doull, hydrogen and eco-commercial vehicles manager at Hyundai New Zealand. “We’ll be looking at data for several years to come. Initial learnings from overseas show that maintenance costs are significantly less and maintenance schedules are few, compared with diesel vehicles.”
Doull says that hydrogen is “really the only option for heavy transport, with very fast refuelling, good range and comparatively lightweight (compared with battery electric vehicles) – meaning there’s space for more payload”.
Gavin Young, technical manager at Hyundai New Zealand, adds that it is a great energy carrier once hydrogen is extracted and stored. “It can be used as an energy source and a fuel due to its high energy content based on its weight.”
Like all internal combustion vehicles, all hydrogen FCEVs share the same basic components. The most noticeable are the tanks – seven on the Xcient positioned vertically behind the cab. These hold 31kg of hydrogen at 350 bar. Young explains that there is a series of systems and fail-safes to monitor for leaks. “As soon as a leak is detected, the system will shut down and alert the driver.”
Directly below the cab, where a diesel engine would go, are the two 90kW fuel-cell stacks. These are approximately the same size and output as a Hyundai Nexo passenger car, just upscaled for commercial output (180kW total).
Behind tanks in between the chassis rails is the highoutput 350kW, 2237Nm electric motor. Young says a direct conversion would place it equivalent to a 470hp truck. “However, power delivery is totally linear and very different to diesel.” It drives a six-speed Allison automatic transmission and a conventional differential.
Either side of the chassis sits the high-voltage 72kWh battery pack (consisting of three batteries), weighing roughly 220kg. Again, these batteries are about the same size as those for an EV. In the FCEV, the batteries are used to collect surplus energy from the fuel cell and regenerative braking (see sidebar).
Compressed air for the trucks’ suspension and brake systems is supplied by an auxiliary air compressor, while conventional 24V batteries take care of the usual electrical needs. These are charged by the high-voltage system though low-voltage DC converters.
How does it go?
The Swiss-spec Xcients are a typical Euro-type rigid configuration – that is, 6x2 with a steering rear tag axle. As they stand, a 28,000kg GVM and 42,000kg GCM are the workable numbers, though in New Zealand, these figures will be lower due to local road regulations.
“This is a seriously heavyduty truck,” says Doull. “It has an awful lot of power. As it sits, there is the potential to go on-road at 39 tonnes combined mass.”
Different body configurations will be available, depending on the customer trialling the individual trucks. Doull says Hyundai New Zealand is targeting the freight sector for its high mileage and usage.
The 31kg of hydrogen gives
CREATING ENERGY FROM HYDROGEN
As detailed in the main story, FCEVs require certain components to work together to create, store and convert electrical energy into kinetic energy.
The fuel cell is the heart of any FCEV. It generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction involving hydrogen and oxygen. There is no combustion.
“Fuel-cell stacks feature a collection of up to 400 waferthin fuel-cell plates stacked together. Any size of fuel cell can produce an electrical current – one fuel cell can generate 1V of electricity,” says Young.
A single fuel cell is composed of an anode and cathode separated by a proton-exchange membrane. Hydrogen gas enters on the negative anode side, where the negatively charged electron of the hydrogen molecule separates, forced through the circuit to create the electricity to power the motor or be stored in the lithium-polymer battery. The positive hydrogen proton moves through the membrane to the positive cathode, where it recombines with the electron and added oxygen from the ambient air, creating water molecules and vapour. These are the only by-products of the process.
“There are no moving parts or combustion – just reliable, safe, silent operation,” Young says.
In the Xcient, the batteries act as a buffer to ensure a constant electricity supply to the motor. They’re kept charged up by the fuel cell and the regenerative braking effect of the motor.
“The systems are modular; for more power, add more stacks; for more range, add more tanks,” says Young. Xcient FCEV gets some differentiating aesthetic treatment.
the Xcient FCEV a claimed 400km range, meaning it could do Auckland to Palmerston North in one trip. Hyundai claims refuelling time at eight to 20 minutes.
“They’re very quietrunning and vibration- and emission-free… 50-tonnes of CO2 will be saved per unit per year on 80,000km of use.”
After the formalities, we were able to look over the Xcient FCEV, but unfortunately not drive it yet. At first glance, we could not help but be reacquainted with our previous excellent experiences with the Xcient – our September 2019 test unit, operated by Corey and Mel Randall out of Napier on their PBT contract, and the big yellow February 2021 Top Truck of Foodstuffs contractors Bruce and Linda Hornell.
Stepping up into the cab and getting comfy in the hot seat, the well-appointed environs are extremely familiar. But things become a little more intriguing and foreign when you look at the carbon fibre-reinforced hydrogen fuel tanks bolted to the chassis and the extensive plumbing and layout of electrical components between the rails.
Just how revolutionary this technology is to the transport industry became more vividly apparent when Young jumped into the cab, activated the electrons, and drove the virtually silent Xcient in front of the delegation.
There certainly were a few raised eyebrows and excited smiles, probably akin to the facial expressions of the crowd that had gathered to witness the live trials of engineer Robert Stephenson’s mighty Rocket locomotive in 1829.
We certainly were left asking ourselves: have we just witnessed a similar event? One thing is for sure, this Hyundai New Zealand trial of the Xcient FCEV will profoundly impact how future transportation is executed.
