Hydrogen Fuel-Powered Trucks Will Get Test Run At Port Newark

NEWARK, NJ — Rutgers is getting $13 million in state funding to test out cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell technology in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded the funding to the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Other project partners include PSE&G, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Hyundai Motor Company, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Under the pilot program, Rutgers will deploy six, hydrogen-powered trucks at Port Newark for drayage operations. Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks will transport shipping containers short distances from the port to warehouses, rail yards and the next leg of the longer freight journey.

The project will proceed in phases, beginning with procurement of the trucks and hydrogen supply, and the design of the fueling site.

Truck deployment and testing is expected to start in the “beginning of 2026,” Rutgers said.

“At Rutgers we see these challenges as opportunities to grow into a 21st-century R&D leader,” said Michael Zwick, senior vice president for research at Rutgers University.

“Now is an essential time to invest in transformative technologies and innovative thinking that can position New Jersey and the U.S. ahead of the curve for years to come,” Zwick said.

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