How Hyundai’s XCIENT Hydrogen Truck is Revolutionizing the Wood Logistics Industry in Uruguay
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[mdtoday = Reporter Yang Jeong-eui] Hyundai Motor Co.’s XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are set to begin commercial service in Latin America for the first time.
Hyundai Motor said it recently delivered eight XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Uruguay. The vehicles will be deployed in the Kahiros project, which is slated to begin full operations in the second half of 2026.
Valued at roughly 60 billion KRW (approximately 45 million USD), the Kahiros program is a private-sector initiative aimed at decarbonizing the timber logistics chain. A consortium of three Uruguayan firms leads the effort, with Spain’s Banco Santander joining as a major investor alongside support from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the U.N. Renewable Energy Innovation Fund.
The project focuses on replacing diesel tractors with hydrogen fuel-cell trucks and building an integrated system to produce green hydrogen on-site using solar power. A 4.8 MW solar array is already complete, and the site is installing an electrolyzer and a hydrogen refueling station capable of producing about 77 metric tons of hydrogen per year.
Consortium roles are clearly divided: renewable-energy firm Ventus will produce hydrogen and operate the refueling station; timber logistics leader Freylog will run day-to-day logistics; and Hyundai’s Uruguay distributor, Fidoca, will handle vehicle imports, regulatory approvals and maintenance.
The XCIENT Fuel Cell tractors supplied by Hyundai are configured for a gross vehicle weight of 37.2 metric tons. They use a 180 kW fuel-cell system paired with a 350 kW drive motor. Ten onboard hydrogen tanks store a combined 68 kg of hydrogen, giving the trucks an operating range of up to 720 km (about 447 miles) on a single fill — suitable for long-haul timber runs.
When operations ramp up, six of the eight trucks will initially be dedicated to timber transport, with the fleet expected to log roughly 1,000,000 km (about 621,000 miles) annually. The remaining two trucks will be brought into service as the operation scales.
A Hyundai Motor spokesperson said, “We’re pleased to expand the XCIENT Fuel Cell’s hydrogen ecosystem footprint from Europe and North America into Latin America. Hyundai will continue working to decarbonize critical segments of the transportation value chain and advance a clean, sustainable future.”
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