Neptune Concept

One of the key design inspirations for the Neptune Concept was the streamliner railway trains that ran from 1936 until 1959, a prime example of Art Deco industrial design. The pioneering twentieth century industrial designer, Henry Dreyfuss, applied a prime example of Art Deco design to the New York Central Railroad in the 1930's. It now symbolises the greatest technological wonder of the era while looking bold and iconic at the same time. Neptune Concept employs this inspired function driven design, with new ways to combine both form and function to create an entirely unique new solution within the commercial vehicle industry, while offering a holistic global approach. The fuel cell powertrain provides an opportunity to redefine the classical typology and architecture of the truck. The Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Design Team started with a white sheet of paper, focusing on the newly defined functionality that resets all standards in order to project into the future of commercial vehicles. The design team took packaging challenges and found new ways to combine both form and function. Due to increased cooling requirements, the grill of the concept commercial vehicle is applied as a common theme across the entire lower portion of the Hyundai Neptune. This creates a distinctive image while maximising airflow. The grill concept also integrates the retractable steps, which are cleverly hidden. The combination of both cab over engine and conventional (bonnet) truck formats achieves packaging efficiency and improved ergonomics. Hyundai has already expanded its global leadership in fuel cell technology. Through its joint venture with H2 Energy, Hyundai is commercialising fuel cell electric trucks by providing 1,600 FCEV heavy-duty trucks to the Swiss commercial vehicle market, beginning 2019 through to 2023. With Hyundai’s commercial vehicle entry to the European market, the U.S. market is an important next phase of the company’s FCEV 2020 vision. Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Concept | Mobility & Transportation