A project with eight Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks debuts in timber transport, bets on green hydrogen and turns Uruguay into a regional showcase for low-emission logistics.
Hyundai Motor has announced the start-up of a fleet of eight XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in Uruguay, marking South America’s first regular operation of heavy trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The initiative is part of The Kahirós Projectwhich has been created to decarbonise the country’s timber logistics and accelerate the use of transport solutions without tailpipe emissions.
The measure places Uruguay in a strategic position in the new competition for clean fuels for freight transport. The country is considered a favorable environment for this type of operation, as by 2024 it produced 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, according to data from official and industry-related sources.
In practice, the project includes a complete infrastructure to support operations. In addition to the trucks, Kahirós includes a solar park of 4.8 MW and an electrolysis plant that can produce 77 tons of green hydrogen per year. The start of operations is planned for November 2026.
Hyundai stated that six trucks will make up the main fleet, while two others will act as a reserve and support for future expansions. During normal operation, the six main vehicles are expected to drive a total of almost 1 million kilometers per year, aimed at the logistics chain in the forest and paper industry.
The total investment in the Kahirós project is 40 million US dollars, with participation from the Santander Group and support from the International Finance Corporation (World Bank), as well as the UN’s Renewable Energy Innovation Fund. The local consortium consists of Ventus, Fraylog and Fidocar, Hyundai’s distributor in Uruguay.
Technically speaking, it has Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell two fuel cell stacks of 90 kW, a total of 180 kW, as well as an electric motor of 350 kW, corresponding to 469 hp, with a torque of 2,237 Nm. The truck also has 68 kg of hydrogen stored in 10 tanks, a 72 kWh battery and can achieve a range of up to 720 km under ideal conditions.
In addition to being a regional premiere, the operation in Uruguay serves as a real scale test for the use of hydrogen trucks in South America. For Hyundai, the project strengthens the global expansion of XCIENT Fuel Cell– ecosystem, which has already been developed in markets in Europe and North America. For the transport sector in the region, the message is clear: hydrogen is about to go from promise to reality on the roads.
Source and images: Hyundai Motor. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial staff.
