Hyundai Motor says its growing deployment of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in North America is being informed by real-world experience gained in Europe, where its Xcient Fuel Cell trucks have now surpassed 20 million kilometers of cumulative driving.

The milestone was reached by January 2026 with about 165 Xcient fuel cell trucks operating in commercial freight operations across Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Austria.

Hyundai says the European program has provided valuable operating data on hydrogen consumption, fuel cell durability and vehicle performance under real-world freight conditions — lessons that are helping guide expansion into other markets, including the United States.

The company is already deploying Xcient fuel cell trucks in North America through projects such as the NorCAL ZERO initiative in California and hydrogen-powered logistics operations tied to Hyundai’s manufacturing expansion in Georgia.

It’s also in B.C., where the truck is participating in the B.C. Hydrogen Ports Project, the province’s first sizeable initiative to adopt hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Those projects are part of a broader effort to build a hydrogen ecosystem in the United States that includes vehicle deployment, hydrogen production and refueling infrastructure.

Hyundai introduced the Xcient fuel cell truck to fleets in Switzerland in 2020 and has gradually expanded operations into other European markets as part of a commercial rollout of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks.

Powered by a 180-kW fuel cell system and an electric drivetrain, the Xcient is widely considered the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell heavy-duty truck designed for commercial freight operations.

The company says the 20-million-kilometer milestone demonstrates the technology is moving beyond pilot programs toward larger-scale deployment, particularly in applications such as port drayage and long-haul trucking where long range and fast refueling are critical.