TRENTON, NJ – Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation has received a $13 million award from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to pilot hydrogen fuel cell trucks at Port Newark.
The program will deploy six Hyundai XCIENT hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks for drayage operations beginning early next year.
Officials say the pilot is part of a statewide effort to expand clean energy innovation and strengthen the state’s logistics and transportation infrastructure.
Hydrogen trucks to serve port logistics
The Rutgers-led initiative, supported by partners including Public Service Enterprise Group, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Hyundai Motor Company, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will evaluate how hydrogen can reduce emissions in port operations. The trucks will haul shipping containers short distances between the port, warehouses, and rail terminals—routes currently dominated by diesel-fueled drayage vehicles.
According to NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan, the project leverages academic, public, and private collaboration to keep New Jersey “on the forefront of innovation.” The Port Authority said the pilot aligns with its net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050, part of a larger sustainability initiative across its regional operations.
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Research and development at Rutgers
Rutgers will oversee research, workforce training, and data analysis, measuring how hydrogen fuel performs under real-world freight demands. The Center for Transportation and the Environment will collect baseline drayage data to set benchmarks for hydrogen truck performance.
CAIT Director Ali Maher said the project could make New Jersey a hub for hydrogen research and workforce development. “We’re demonstrating how hydrogen can be integrated into real-world transportation and logistics operations,” Maher said, emphasizing the goal of driving down costs and improving efficiency.
Private sector joins hydrogen effort
PSEG will manage fueling operations for the hydrogen trucks, bringing its industrial hydrogen experience to the initiative. “We’re proud to bring that experience to the forefront as we support truck fueling operations for the project,” said PSEG Senior Director Jeffrey Stokes.
Over the 12-month test period, Rutgers and its partners will analyze performance metrics including fuel efficiency, maintenance, and port utilization. Results will be compiled into a dataset assessing the feasibility of large-scale hydrogen truck adoption.
Rutgers University received $13 million from NJEDA to pilot hydrogen-powered trucks at Port Newark in a bid to advance clean freight technology and research.
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