Hyundai crowned its claim in hydrogen with 20 million kilometers

Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy commercial truck fleet reached 20 million kilometers of driving range across Europe by January 2026. The 165-vehicle fleet, operating in five European countries, demonstrates its global leadership in the transition to hydrogen energy. Operations in North America have also exceeded nearly 1.6 million kilometers since entering the region in 2023.

Hyundai announced that its XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy commercial truck fleet has reached 20 million kilometers of driving range across Europe. This achievement, accomplished in five years with a total of 165 vehicles operating in Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Austria, highlights the potential of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to replace internal combustion engines (ICEs) in commercial transportation.

Chul Youn Park, Head of Hyundai Global Commercial and Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, commented: “Hyundai is working with global partners to deploy hydrogen fuel cell trucks in various sectors such as logistics, distribution, and urban utilities, reducing exhaust-related carbon emissions. Following our initial operations in Switzerland, we have expanded to different regions of Europe and are making significant progress in North America. Our hydrogen commercial vehicles contribute to the formation of the hydrogen ecosystem by providing mobility solutions for a more advanced future and continue to grow their global impact.”

Expansion in Europe: Cleaner Logistics with Hydrogen Mobility

First launched in Switzerland in October 2020, the XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks had reached a total driving distance of 10 million kilometers in that country alone by June 2024. The vehicles' consistent performance paved the way for expansion into new regions and diverse application areas. Today, this includes food and beverage logistics, supermarket distribution, and specialized applications such as garbage trucks and crane trucks.

Key operational use cases:

• Switzerland: Food, beverage, and textile logistics

• Germany: Logistics solutions for supermarket chains, textile companies, and large fleet operators

• France: Logistics activities for large retail chains, including electric power take-off (ePTO) waste and crane truck applications

• Netherlands: Use of tarpaulin trucks for a construction materials distributor

• Austria: Refrigerated truck integrated into the operations of a supermarket chain

Compared to traditional diesel truck fleets, XCIENT Fuel Cell vehicles provide a significant reduction in carbon emissions from exhaust. Continuing its innovation efforts, Hyundai introduced the new XCIENT Fuel Cell truck with an enhanced hydrogen fuel cell system in 2025. Since 2021, the vehicle has undergone extensive testing in various climates and operating conditions, confirming its suitability for diverse customer needs, including port transportation and medium-haul logistics. Thanks to close collaboration with fleet operators, the model successfully adapts to different driving requirements.

XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks in North America

XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks continue to showcase Hyundai's technological leadership in hydrogen mobility in North America, as well as in Europe. A total of 63 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are currently in active operation in the region, having accumulated approximately 1.6 million kilometers of total driving distance since their launch in 2023.

The main locations where the vehicles are operating are:

• California, USA – NorCAL ZERO Project: 30 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are in service at the Port of Oakland as part of the largest hydrogen truck deployment in North America.

• Georgia, USA – HTWO Logistics: 21 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks support logistics operations as part of the HTWO Logistics initiative, run in collaboration with GLOVIS America at Hyundai Metaplant America.

• British Columbia, Canada – BC Hydrogen Ports Project: The state's first major initiative to adopt hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in its maritime and transportation sectors.

The proven performance of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in diverse logistics environments demonstrates their real-world commercial usability, reinforcing Hyundai's leadership in pioneering the global hydrogen energy transition.