Hyundai and PlusAI’s Hydrogen Truck Makes TIME’s ‘Best Inventions 2025’

By Amit Jangra | Published Date : November 20, 2025

Hyundai and PlusAI’s hydrogen truck, XCIENT Fuel Cell, is in TIME’s Best Inventions 2025, showing a future of cleaner, smarter and safer long-haul freight.

Hyundai Motor and PlusAI have got big attention because their autonomous hydrogen truck, the XCIENT Fuel Cell, is in TIME magazine’s Best Inventions 2025 list under Transportation. This shows how trucks can be cleaner and smarter. The truck is still tested, not fully ready, but it shows the future of long-haul freight might change a lot with hydrogen and self-driving tech.

Why the Truck is Interesting

Table of Contents

1. Why the Truck is Interesting

2. Testing on Real Roads

3. What TIME Recognition Means

4. Collaboration Goals

5. Why It Matters

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The truck runs on hydrogen fuel cells. It makes electricity from hydrogen stored on board. So it is quiet and has no tailpipe emissions, unlike diesel trucks. Plus, the autonomous version uses Level-4 software from PlusAI, an American self-driving company. It helps the driver a lot on long trips. When hydrogen stations are ready, this truck can be a real alternative to diesel trucks.

Testing on Real Roads

Hyundai and PlusAI are testing this truck in the US. They check long drives, highway merges, lane changes and stop-and-go traffic. They also study how hydrogen fuel cells work in different loads, weather and terrain. This helps them improve efficiency, drivetrain performance and self-driving functions. The tests are slow and careful, but needed before the truck can be used widely.

What TIME Recognition Means

TIME magazine included the truck not because it is ready to sell, but because it has high potential. The editors look at originality, impact and influence on industries. This truck mixes two big trends: cleaner heavy transport and autonomous freight movement. It shows how trucks could evolve in future, even if more work is needed now.

Collaboration Goals

Hyundai and PlusAI focus on making sensors, software and driving systems reliable. PlusAI studies driver-assist features to reduce fatigue and improve route consistency. Together, they test how hydrogen power and autonomous driving work in harmony. Both technologies are tricky alone, but combined they could change freight logistics.

Why It Matters

Heavy trucks are hard to decarbonize. Adding self-driving is extra challenge. This truck shows companies experimenting with clean energy and automation. TIME recognition gives visibility to this effort. Still, commercial adoption will take time. But it is a big step toward safer, cleaner and smarter long-haul transport in future.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is the Hyundai–PlusAI XCIENT truck?

Ans: It is an autonomous hydrogen fuel cell truck designed for long-haul transport, combining cleaner energy with self-driving technology.

2. Is the truck ready for commercial use?

Ans: No, the truck is still being tested and not yet available for sale.

3. Why did TIME magazine recognize it?

Ans: TIME included it for originality, potential impact and its role in shaping future cleaner, smarter freight transport.

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