SEOUL: Hyundai Motor's XCient fuel cell Class-8 heavy-duty truck fleet has achieved the milestone of 20 million kilometres driven across Europe.
The milestone, achieved over five years with 165 units in operation across Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Austria, underscores the potential of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to replace internal combustion engines (ICE) in commercial transportation.
"Hyundai Motor is reducing carbon emissions by working with global partners to deploy hydrogen fuel cell trucks across various sectors such as logistics, distribution and urban public operations," said Hyundai Motor Company head of global commercial vehicle and light commercial vehicle business division Chul Youn Park.
"Starting with our initial operations in Switzerland, we have expanded our presence across multiple regions in Europe while achieving visible progress in North America as well. Our hydrogen commercial vehicles continue to demonstrate their value as mobility solutions for a more advanced future, helping build the hydrogen ecosystem and expanding their global impact."
First launched in Switzerland in October 2020, XCient fuel cell trucks initially reached 10 million kilometres of cumulative driving distance in the country by June 2024.
The trucks’ consistent performance has spurred expansion into new regions and a growing range of applications, including food and beverage logistics, supermarket distribution and specialised vehicle types such as refuse and crane trucks.
Notable operational highlights include:
Switzerland: Food, beverage and clothing logistics industries.
Germany: Logistics across supermarket chains, textile companies and major fleet operators.
France: Logistics for major retail chains, as well as refuse and crane trucks equipped with electric power take-off (ePTO) solutions.
Netherlands: A tarpaulin truck supplied to a construction materials distributor.
Austria: A reefer van integrated into operations with a supermarket chain.
Compared with a fleet of regular diesel trucks, which would emit 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over an accumulated distance of 20 million kilometres, XCient fuel cell trucks provide a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
It is estimated that this reduction is equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed annually by 1.5 million pine trees.
Also, Hyundai Motor launched the new XCient fuel cell truck in 2025, which features an upgraded hydrogen fuel cell system.
The vehicle has undergone rigorous testing since 2021, ensuring its suitability across a range of climates and use cases.
This testing, combined with continuous collaboration with fleet operators, has ensured the vehicle meets various customer driving needs, including port transportation and medium-distance logistics.
In North America, a total of 63 XCient fuel cell trucks are currently in operation, collectively surpassing 1.6 million kilometres of accumulated driving since their regional debut in 2023.
The trucks are operational in key areas across the continent, including:
California, United States – The NorCAL ZERO Project: The largest hydrogen truck deployment in North America, operating 30 XCient fuel cell trucks at the Ports of Oakland.
Georgia, United States – HTWO Logistics: In Georgia, 21 XCient fuel cell trucks support logistics at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America under the HTWO Logistics initiative with GLOVIS America.
British Columbia, Canada – BC Hydrogen Ports Project: The province’s first major initiative to adopt hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies in the shipping and transportation sectors.
