Hyundai and Plus AI have unveiled a shared vision at the recent Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim, California, outlining their collaboration on autonomous hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks and their aims to accelerate the development of a hydrogen-powered freight network in the United States.
The collaboration pairs Hyundai Motor’s hydrogen-powered XCIENT Fuel Cell truck with Plus’s AI-based autonomous driving software, SuperDrive, proposing a scalable and cost-effective solution to long-haul freight that aims to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial transportation.
Jim Park, SVP of commercial vehicle and hydrogen business development at Hyundai Motor North America, says: “Hyundai Motor believes in a sustainable future powered by advanced fuel cell technologies.
“We hope to continue our partnership with Plus to add autonomous driving capabilities to XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in the future and provide our fleet operator customers with additional solutions that improve road safety and freight efficiency.
“The concept shared today shows why we value this partnership and the vision for what autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks can deliver.”
David Liu, CEO and co-founder of Plus AI, added: “Autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks are a transformative step forward in sustainable freight.
“By combining self-driving and zero-tailpipe emission technologies, we are laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more efficient transportation system that meets the demands of today and the needs of tomorrow.
“We are excited to showcase a concept for the sustainable future we expect to create with innovation-driven partners like Hyundai Motor.”
In a concept video released by the companies, Hyundai Motor and Plus outline a practical framework for deploying autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks along high-utilization hub-to-hub routes. The approach focuses on:
- Initial deployment across major freight corridors to build early momentum
- Stimulating demand for strategically placed hydrogen refueling stations
- Expanding infrastructure to support a growing fleet and wider hydrogen use
- Reinforcing scalability, as new routes drive further infrastructure investment and adoption
Autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks offer zero-tailpipe emissions, fast refueling, long driving range, quieter operation, and reduced maintenance.
These features position Hyundai Motor’s XCIENT Fuel Cell truck as an ideal candidate for continuous long-haul transport, particularly as the hydrogen ecosystem matures.
The video illustrates how this infrastructure can be built out incrementally, with each added delivery route increasing network efficiency and economic viability – benefiting not only autonomous trucks, but also other hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Over time, this blueprint envisions a self-reinforcing cycle of vehicle adoption, infrastructure development, and lower operational costs per unit.
Clean logistics milestones of Hyundai Motor in the US
Hyundai Motor is operating 30 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks at the Ports of Oakland and Richmond through the NorCAL ZERO Project – the largest hydrogen truck deployment in North America.
Since September 2023, these trucks have logged nearly 450,000 miles in zero-tailpipe emission freight transport, including container hauling.
In Georgia, 21 XCIENT trucks support logistics at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America under the HTWO Logistics initiative with GLOVIS America.
Powered by on-site hydrogen production and refueling, the fleet handles nearly half of the plant’s logistics. Hyundai Motor plans to scale this ecosystem globally and expand its HTWO hydrogen brand into an open collaboration platform.
