Leading US Seaport Will Trial Fuel Cell Electric Trucks

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Regardless of the abrupt U-turn in federal energy policy, state-level policy makers are still determined to clean up the polluted air in and around the nation’s seaports, and that includes replacing diesel fuel with electric trucks. One particularly high profile project will get under way early next year, featuring half a dozen hydrogen fuel cell trucks and one of the busiest ports on the East Coast.

Electric Trucks: Fuel Cells Vs. Batteries

For those of you new to the topic, fuel cell trucks are electric trucks. Instead of carrying a charge in a battery, fuel cells generate electricity in real time, through a reaction between hydrogen and ambient air. The only emission is water vapor.

Whether fuel cell or battery, the vehicle electrification movement has had a tough time electrifying heavy duty Class 8 trucks, particularly where long interstate routes are involved. On the fuel cell side, the hydrogen fuel network is still a work in progress here in the US. The EV battery charging station network has had more time to develop, but the time it takes to recharge a truck-sized battery pack can be a limiting factor.

Republican members of Congress didn’t help matters last summer when they voted to fast-track the sunset of a property credit worth up to $100,000 per item for clean vehicle fuel stations. The credit was originally scheduled to sunset in 2032, but now it will go away on June 30 of 2026.

Zero Emission Trucks & The Drayage Factor

Still, the idea of protecting people from the consequences of breathing in polluted air is not going anywhere, at least not in US states where policy makers continue to value human health and well-being.

Seaports have been one longstanding area of focus, and that brings us to the new electric truck pilot project. Announced by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy last week, the project will bring six of Hyundai’s zero emission XCIENT hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks to Port Newark in New Jersey. Port Newark is billed as the “the principal container ship facility for goods entering and leaving” the Northeast, making it a key element in the sprawling, two-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shipping complex.

In consideration of the limitations of refueling for long distances, the trucks will be tasked only with transporting shipping containers from the seaport to warehouses, rail yards, and other nearby destinations.

“Today, this drayage, or short-distance transport of goods, is conducted by fuel-intensive, combustion engine trucks that are typically single-purpose for drayage, serving the same short distance for their useful life,” the Governor’s office explains.

That doesn’t sound nearly as glamorous as a days-long trip across the length of the US, but the drayage factor is a significant on in terms of local air pollution. As the Port Authority points out, drayage trucks are the single largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to port-wide operations, weighing in at about 48% of the total.

One Electric Truck Demo To Rule Them All

The pilot project is funded by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and managed by the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation in the Rutgers University School of Engineering. Partners include the utility PSEG (the Public Service Enterprise Group) and the nonprofit organization Center for Transportation and the Environment, along with Hyundai Motor Company, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

If all goes according to plan, the impact of the project will spread far beyond the emissions savings of six electric trucks.

“It’s about making New Jersey an R&D and workforce training hub for hydrogen-powered transportation,” explains the director of Rutgers CAIT Ali Maher, who also serves as principle investigator on the electric truck project.

“We’re demonstrating how hydrogen can be integrated into real-world transportation and logistics operations, and we will investigate its potential to drive down costs, improve performance, and support long-term economic growth,” Maher elaborates. “This type of applied research is critical to proving the use cases of innovative technology and paving the way for its implementation.”

By research, they mean research with a purpose. CAIT and CTE will collaborate on the collection of data leading to the development of key performance indicators.

“Establishing clear performance benchmarks based on current drayage operations is essential to demonstrating that hydrogen trucks can meet the real-world demands of port logistics,” explains CTE senior managing consultant Niki Rinaldi El-Abd, senior managing consultant at CTE.

“This work lays the groundwork for data-driven decisions that build confidence and drive investment in zero-emission freight solutions,” El-Abd emphasizes.

Next Steps For Electric Trucks

In terms of automotive technology, advocates for seaport cleanup have many more choices now than they did before electric trucks hit the market. CleanTechnica was among those taking note of progress at the Port of New York and New Jersey back in 2010, when the big news was all about replacing older diesel trucks with…newer diesel trucks.

Much water has passed under the bridge since then. Earlier this year, for example, the Port Authority announced the opening of a new electric truck charging station at Port Newark, aimed at providing drayage truck drivers with a quick, convenient opportunity to top off their batteries.

“A 10–15-minute opportunity charge could offer an additional 20-40 miles of range, depending on the load and driving conditions, allowing truckers to minimize downtime and complete more trips during the workday,” the Port Authority explained.

A steep drop in the cost of solar power has also been supporting the case for battery -powered electric vehicles in general. Earlier this year, the Port Newark Container Terminal became the host of a new 7.2 megawatt solar power plant. The solar project included a new EV charging station for use by staff at the facility.

As for the long distance electric truck movement, keep an eye on the California-Oregon-Washington freight corridor, where clean air advocates are still hard at work. That includes industry stakeholders like EV Realty and Prologis Mobility. In August the two firms launched a new electric truck charging station plan, aiming to fill in the gaps at seaports, logistics centers, and freight routes in California.

West Coast freight corridor stakeholders have also extended a zero emission leg into Texas, so keep an eye out for more activity in that state, from the fuel cell side as well as the battery side.

Photo: Hyundai is lending its XCIENT fuel cell electric trucks to a high-profile decarbonization pilot project at one of the busiest seaports in the US (cropped, courtesy of Hyundai).