Hyundai Motor & Plus Unveil First Level 4 Autonomous Fuel Cell Electric Truck in the US

Hyundai Motor and autonomous driving software company Plus have unveiled the first Level 4 autonomous Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric truck in the US at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. Hyundai Motor’s XCIENT Fuel Cell truck is equipped with Plus SuperDrive Level 4 autonomous driving technology.

The Level 4 autonomous truck is undergoing initial autonomous driving assessments in the US.

The collaboration seeks to show that autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks can help make trucking safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

Plus’s SuperDrive™ solution is being deployed across the US, Europe, and Australia.

The system uses a combination of cutting-edge sensors, including LiDAR, radar and cameras, to provide surround perception, planning, prediction and self-driving capabilities.

First introduced in 2020, Hyundai Motor’s XCIENT Fuel Cell truck has conducted commercial operations in eight countries worldwide.

Martin Zeilinger, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Development at Hyundai, says: “We are excited to showcase our collaboration with Plus to test Level 4 autonomous driving technology with our Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck. Hyundai Motor has been driving the energy transition paradigm with our advanced fuel cell technologies. By adding autonomous capabilities to our world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered XCIENT Fuel Cell truck, Hyundai is looking forward to providing fleets and vehicle operators additional solutions that enhance road safety and freight efficiencies thanks to Plus’s industry-leading autonomous driving technology.”

Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-Founder at Plus, adds: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Hyundai Motor Company on this important initiative to create more sustainable and safe transportation options. A decarbonized future with autonomous hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks that also improve safety and efficiency is one that Plus is proud to support with our cutting-edge autonomous driving technology.” 

Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees.