Hyundai Motor Spearheads U.S. Zero-Emission Freight Transportation with NorCAL ZERO Project Launch

Hyundai Motor celebrates the official launch of the NorCAL ZERO Project to bring zero-emission freight transportation to the San Francisco Bay Area and California's Central Valley Hyundai Motor teams up with public and private partners to deploy 30 Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell, hydrogen-powered trucks to haul freight containers and vehicles NorCAL ZERO Project aims to reduce carbon emissions by over 24,000 metric tons Hyundai Motor sees hydrogen as the clean energy solution for commercial vehicles, leading the way to expand on Hyundai's efforts for port decarbonization in the U.S.

OAKLAND, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor), today celebrated the official launch of NorCAL ZERO Project – a major initiative that is utilizing the company's hydrogen fuel cell technology to bring zero-emission freight transportation to the San Francisco Bay Area and California's Central Valley.

The dedication event held at Oakland's FirstElement Fuel Hydrogen Refueling Station brought Hyundai Motor together with its project partners, including the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), GLOVIS America, Inc. (GLOVIS America), East Bay Municipal Utilities District, FirstElement Fuel (FEF), Papé, the University of California, the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland and the community of West Oakland represented by the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP). Representatives from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the California Energy Commission (CEC), all of whom provided grant funds to make this project possible, were also in attendance.

As part of the NorCAL ZERO Project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Trucks, Hyundai Motor deployed 30 Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell with a 6x4 drive axle configuration in California, which has been in commercial operation since last year. This delivery marks the single largest commercial deployment of Class 8 hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric truck in the U.S.

"The NorCAL ZERO Project in Oakland marks a significant step forward in realizing Hyundai's vision for a global hydrogen society," said Ken Ramirez, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Vehicle & Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Company. "The project demonstrates how the transport energy transition is achievable today and will serve as one of the building blocks for Hyundai's port decarbonization initiatives worldwide."