"Expansion of Hydrogen Commercial Vehicles and Hydrogen Taxi Deployment"… Hyundai Motor Collaborates with Ministry of Industry and Seoul City on Pilot Project

Trial Operation of Hydrogen Trucks for Waste Collection in Changwon
Seoul to Expand Hydrogen Taxi Pilot Project

Hyundai Nexo (Photo by Hyundai)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Hyundai Motor Company, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Changwon City, Seoul taxi operators, the Korea Automotive Research Institute, and the Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Group are accelerating the promotion of hydrogen commercial vehicles and hydrogen taxis through multilateral cooperation.

On the 14th, Hyundai Motor signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) at the Korea Automotive Research Institute in Cheonan, Chungnam Province, focusing on mutual cooperation to promote a 5-ton hydrogen garbage truck and a hydrogen taxi pilot project. Attendees included Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Gong Young-woon, President of Hyundai Motor; Heo Seong-moo, Mayor of Changwon City; Heo Nam-yong, Director of the Korea Automotive Research Institute; Moon Jae-do, Chairman of the Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Group; and representatives of Seoul taxi operators.

Through this multilateral cooperation, Hyundai Motor plans to lay the foundation for the expansion of hydrogen commercial vehicles and hydrogen taxis in the public sector and to accelerate the hydrogen economy by expanding the general public’s experience with hydrogen electric vehicles.

First, Hyundai Motor, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Changwon City, and the Korea Automotive Research Institute will conduct a pilot operation of hydrogen trucks for garbage collection in the Changwon area to commercialize and expand the distribution of 5-ton hydrogen trucks. To this end, Changwon City will deploy one hydrogen garbage truck (compactor truck) on local garbage collection routes within this year. A large-capacity charging station for hydrogen garbage trucks will also be established by the end of the year.

Hyundai Motor and the Korea Automotive Research Institute will analyze the results of this pilot project, share them with cooperating parties, and work on improving vehicle performance. Hyundai Motor will also use the pilot operation to develop business models utilizing the 5-ton truck and to check the commercialization and export competitiveness of medium-sized hydrogen trucks. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will support the budget required for this pilot operation and additionally discover and support research and development and demonstration projects to improve hydrogen truck performance.

The 5-ton garbage truck deployed in Changwon was developed jointly by Hyundai Motor, parts suppliers, and the Korea Automotive Research Institute as part of a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy research project selected in 2017. It can operate up to 599 km (based on Hyundai Motor’s own test and curb weight) at a constant speed of 60 km/h on a single charge.

Alongside the hydrogen garbage truck, a multilateral MOU was signed to expand the hydrogen taxi pilot project. Hyundai Motor, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Korea Automotive Research Institute, Seoul taxi operators Daeduk Transport and Yuchang Sangun, and the Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Group will jointly conduct a hydrogen taxi pilot operation in the Seoul area. Accordingly, Daeduk Transport and Yuchang Sangun will each start pilot operations of five Nexo hydrogen taxis this month.

This pilot project will focus on testing the performance of key components such as fuel cell stacks, air and hydrogen supply devices, and thermal management systems by operating hydrogen taxis to their durability limits in real road environments. The Korea Automotive Research Institute, together with Hyundai Motor and the Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Group, will analyze and share data collected from monitoring the Nexo pilot operation to improve vehicle durability and performance. By closely analyzing various driving data and deriving improvement directions, they aim to expedite the official distribution of hydrogen taxis.

The hydrogen taxi pilot project began with 10 vehicles entering demonstration testing in September last year alongside the opening of a hydrogen charging station at the National Assembly, and 10 more vehicles will be added this time.

A Hyundai Motor official explained, “Commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses face fewer constraints related to charging infrastructure compared to passenger cars, and hydrogen electric vehicles have advantages in long-distance driving, so rapid growth of the hydrogen commercial vehicle market is expected.” He added, “This multilateral cooperation will greatly help expand our position in the global hydrogen commercial vehicle market.” Regarding the hydrogen taxi pilot project, he said, “The expansion of hydrogen taxi operations will increase opportunities for the general public to experience hydrogen electric vehicles.”

Meanwhile, at Ulsan City Hall on the same day, an MOU was signed to lead the hydrogen economy and build the world’s best hydrogen city by 2030. The ceremony was attended by Song Cheol-ho, Mayor of Ulsan City; Ha Eon-tae, President of Hyundai Motor; and heads of 30 hydrogen-related public institutions and company representatives. Ulsan City has been selected for all three major government hydrogen economy leading projects: the ‘Hydrogen Pilot City Project’ led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; the ‘Hydrogen Convergence Complex Demonstration Project’ led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; and the ‘Hydrogen Green Mobility Regulatory Free Zone’ led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Hyundai Motor and other parties will cooperate in developing innovative hydrogen technologies, fostering parts and materials industries, and conducting hydrogen city demonstration projects to ensure the successful promotion of Ulsan’s three major hydrogen economy leading projects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.