Hyundai Motor and autonomous trucking technology developer Plus unveiled a concept for an autonomous hydrogen-powered truck at ACT Expo 2025, showcasing the potential for scalable, zero-emission freight corridors across the U.S.
The concept pairs Hyundai’s Xcient Fuel Cell Class 8 truck with Plus’s SuperDrive autonomous driving software, aiming to combine zero-tailpipe emissions with self-driving capabilities. The companies see the initial deployment focusing on high-utilization freight corridors to help stimulate hydrogen infrastructure development, followed by wider network expansion as adoption grows.
Shawn Kerrigan, chief operating officer and co-founder of Plus, said during the press conference that the combination would offer significant strategic advantages for the fleets, including significant CO2 output reduction and improved total cost of ownership (TCO).
“One of the big advantages of a hydrogen fuel cell truck is the big reduction in CO2 that comes with that. And now with an autonomous truck, where you could double the utilization of that truck, you can basically double the CO2 savings you’re getting for each one of those trucks,” he said.
Kerrigan further explained that traditional trucks are constrained by hours-of-service regulations, requiring rest periods for human drivers, while autonomous vehicles can operate almost continuously, significantly increasing productivity, which extends operating time and also improves TCO, allowing each truck to generate more revenue.
“One of the challenges that, I think, you see with some of these alternative fuel systems like hydrogen fuel cell trucks, is that there’s a need to build out the infrastructure to support the vehicle,” he told TruckNews.com. “There is a very nice pairing between the way you build out an autonomous network segment-by-segment, as well as how you build out the fueling and support infrastructure for a hydrogen fuel cell truck.”
“Hyundai Motor believes in a sustainable future powered by advanced fuel cell technologies,” said Jim Park, senior vice-president of commercial vehicle and hydrogen business development at Hyundai Motor North America, in a related news release. “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.”
David Liu, CEO and co-founder of Plus, added combining hydrogen fuel cell trucks with autonomous technology represents “a transformative step forward in sustainable freight.”
