Hyundai and PlusAI win prestigious TIME award for their autonomous hydrogen truck project

Hyundai Motor Company and PlusAI’s autonomous XCIENT Fuel Cell Class 8 heavy-duty truck has been named one of TIME’s ‘Best Inventions of 2025’. Indeed, TIME’s Best Inventions list spotlights innovations that transform how we live, work and move. This year’s selection of 300 groundbreaking solutions highlights the industry-defining potential of Hyundai Motor and PlusAI’s hydrogen-powered autonomous truck.

The award-winning truck integrates Hyundai Motor’s proven XCIENT Fuel Cell Class 8 heavy-duty truck platform — the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck — with PlusAI’s patented Level 4 autonomous SuperDrive virtual driver.

Awarded autonomous hydrogen truck project: the official statements

“This recognition by TIME is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration,” said Chul Youn Park, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Vehicle and Light Commercial Vehicle Business Division at Hyundai Motor Company. “It’s a true honor to be recognized by TIME’s Best Inventions, which celebrates innovations that shape a better future. At Hyundai, we aim to contribute to building a sustainable and safe freight ecosystem through hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles. We deeply value our partnership with PlusAI, which has been instrumental in realizing this shared vision.”

David Liu, CEO and Co-founder at PlusAI, added, “It is an honor to have TIME recognize our collaboration with Hyundai Motor as one of the Best Inventions of 2025. This award underscores PlusAI’s leadership as an AI-native technology company, where our autonomous driving system is designed from the ground up to deliver innovation with safety and scalability at its core. By combining Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell platform with our cutting-edge autonomous driving software, we are setting a new benchmark for sustainable and transformative freight transportation.”