Hyundai Motor Company has announced that its XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy-duty truck fleet has achieved the milestone of 20 million kilometers 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 tailpipe carbon emissions by working with global partners to deploy H₂ fuel cell trucks across various sectors such as logistics, distribution and urban public operations. 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 H₂ commercial vehicles continue to demonstrate their value as mobility solutions for a more advanced future, helping build the H₂ ecosystem and expanding their global impact," said Chul Youn Park, Head of Global Commercial Vehicle and Light Commercial Vehicle Business Division at Hyundai Motor Company.

First launched in Switzerland in October 2020, XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks initially reached 10 million kilometers 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 specialized 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, XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks provide a significant reduction in carbon emissions at the tailpipe.

Furthering its innovation, Hyundai Motor launched the new XCIENT Fuel Cell truck in 2025, which features an upgraded H₂ 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.

XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks in North America. XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks continue to demonstrate Hyundai Motor’s technological leadership in H₂ mobility across diverse markets beyond Europe, including North America.

In North America, a total of 63 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are currently in operation, collectively surpassing approximately 1.6 million kilometers of accumulated driving since their regional debut in 2023.

The trucks are operational in key areas across the continent, including:

• California, U.S. – The NorCAL ZERO Project: The largest H₂ truck deployment in North America, operating 30 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks at the Ports of Oakland
• Georgia, U.S. – 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 H₂ Ports Project: The province’s first major initiative to adopt H₂ and fuel-cell technologies in the shipping and transportation sectors

The XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks’ proven performance in diverse logistics environments demonstrates their real-world commercial capability and underscores Hyundai Motor’s leadership in advancing the global H₂ energy transition.