Hyundai Motor’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Truck Fleet Achieves 20-Million-Kilometer Milestone in Europe
- Hyundai Motor’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy-duty truck fleet recorded 20 million kilometers of driving across Europe, as of January 2026
- With 165 units in operation across five European countries, XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are showing their leadership in the global hydrogen energy transition
- North American operations have also exceeded approximately 1.6 million kilometers since introducing XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to the region in 2023
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Hyundai Motor Company today 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 carbon emissions by working with global partners to deploy hydrogen 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 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.
Expanding Across Europe: Cleaner Logistics through Hydrogen Mobility
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, which would emit approximately 13,000 tons of carbon dioxide over an accumulated distance of 20 million kilometers, 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 approximately 1.5 million pine trees.*
Furthering its innovation, 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.
XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks in North America
XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks continue to demonstrate Hyundai Motor’s technological leadership in hydrogen 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 hydrogen 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 Hydrogen Ports Project: The province’s first major initiative to adopt hydrogen 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 hydrogen energy transition.
* Calculation of tree-planting effect:
- Driving distance: 20,000,000 km
- Fuel efficiency: 4.16 km/L
- Diesel CO₂ emission factor: 2.68 kg/L (Default factor based on the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Inventories)
- Fuel consumption: 4,807,692.3 L
- CO₂ emissions (kg): 4,807,692.3 × 2.68 = 12,884,636 kg
- CO₂ emissions (t): 12,885 t
- Annual CO₂ consumption per pine tree: 8.7 kg (International average based on the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry)
- Tree planting effect: 12,885,000 kg ÷ 8.7 kg = 1,481,034 trees (approximately 1.5 million trees)
Contacts
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Wolfgang Würth
Director PR & Communications
[email protected]Adriana Cerami
Head of Corporate & Brand PR
[email protected]Conor Twomey
Head of Product PR
[email protected]Elvira Vella-Herrera
Executive & Internal Communications Senior Expert
[email protected]Maria Bricio
Corporate & Brand Communications Expert
[email protected]Adrian Péré
Product PR Manager
[email protected]Katharina Kupper
Hyundai Newsroom Lead
[email protected]Patricia Lammers
Corporate Communications Expert
[email protected]Miguel Lopez
Product PR Specialist
