As 2025 wraps up, it’s been a landmark year for hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in British Columbia. From the first customer trial to new truck arrivals and major infrastructure milestones across our Metro Vancouver Hydrogen Hub – including our SE Marine station and Burnaby Clean Hydrogen Production Facility – momentum continues to build. We sat down with Rob Stevenson, Director of HTEC’s Vehicle Leasing Corporation, to reflect on the year and look ahead to what’s coming.
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Q: Rob, how would you describe the past year for hydrogen fuel cell trucking in B.C.?
Rob: It’s been a very strong year. We kicked off our first customer trial with a Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck operating in a typical diesel application—no concessions, no operational changes—and it has performed exceptionally well. The truck has now travelled more than 8,500 fault-free kilometres and moved over 450 tonnes of cargo, not including trailer weight. It’s proving that hydrogen trucks can do real work, on real routes with real payloads.
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Q: Where has the truck been operating, and how has it handled those routes?
Rob: The exciting part is where it’s been used. This vehicle is regularly hauling loads to Whistler and Merritt, both known for steep climbs and challenging driving. Some round trips exceed 560 km, and the truck has handled them incredibly reliably, which is great compared to a battery-electric truck, which could face some limitations.
Drivers love it too—they highlight the quiet, vibration-free operation, excellent torque, and great visibility. They finish their day feeling noticeably less fatigued.
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Q: HTEC recently received new 2025-model trucks. What’s new in this generation?
Rob: We took delivery of four new 2025 Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, and the upgrades are significant. Highlights include:
- A redesigned cabin with updated upholstery
- A large HMI-style touchscreen adapted from Hyundai’s passenger EV lineup
- Built-in navigation to nearby hydrogen stations
- A full digital dash cluster
- Comfort features like heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, and improved smartphone integration
- Advanced safety features including lane-keeping assist, blind spot detection, and new A-pillar indicators
- About 10% more power and a top speed increase to around 105 km/h
All of this helps close the gap between passenger-vehicle refinement and heavy-duty trucking.
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Q: You’ve done a lot of outreach this year. What stood out?
Rob: We hosted a very successful ride-along and demonstration day at our warehouse, where prospective customers could test the truck firsthand. First responders across the region also attended that event and have been reaching out for hydrogen truck safety training, which is great to see as it beings a sense of additional preparedness and readiness to have these trucks on the road.
We participated in several speaking engagements, including the Community Energy Association’s provincial roadshow, and attended major industry events like ACT Expo in California. There has been great interest in not only the trucks, but also how we are developing and operating the network to support the adoption of the technology.
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Q: Training seems to be a big part of deployment. What does that look like?
Rob: Hyundai engineers provided detailed training during the handover to our first customer, and our team has built on that. We now train new drivers ourselves, join their first ride-alongs, and help them get comfortable with regenerative braking, fuel cell behaviour, refueling, safety mechanisms and vehicle controls.
It’s a smooth transition, and drivers typically get up to speed quickly.
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Q: Looking ahead, what are the big milestones for 2026?
Rob: The biggest one is the opening of our heavy-duty hydrogen station in Tsawwassen, which is currently in commissioning. First fuel is expected early in the new year. This station will offer full cardlock functionality for Class 7&8 trucks pulling trailers— a major step forward for real-world hydrogen trucking.
We’re also preparing a range of flexible leasing options, from short two-month trials to long-term agreements, to help fleets test, learn, and scale at their own pace.
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Q: Final thoughts as we close out the year?
Rob: This year proved that hydrogen trucks aren’t theoretical—they’re here, they work, and fleets are seeing what they can do in challenging real-world environments. With more vehicles and infrastructure coming online, 2026 is going to be an exciting year.
Thinking Hydrogen could be for your fleet: download our Driving the Future of Freight information package or email Rob or leasing@htec.ca.