Coupang to Pilot Hydrogen Cargo Trucks from Next Year..."Strengthening Eco-Friendly Logistics"

Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Land, Hyundai Motor, and Others Sign 'Hydride Vehicle Pilot Project Promotion MOU'

Park Dae-jun, Head of New Business Division at Coupang, Han Seong-gwon, President of Commercial Business at Hyundai Motor Company, Jung Seung-il, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Hong Jeong-gi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment, Son Myeong-su, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (from left), and other officials involved in the agreement ceremony are posing for a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheolhyun] Coupang is joining efforts to reduce fine dust and greenhouse gas emissions. On the 20th, Coupang announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 'Hydrogen Cargo Vehicle Pilot Project' in Okcheon, Chungbuk, together with the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Hyundai Motor Company. This signifies accelerating the hydrogen economy by introducing eco-friendly hydrogen cargo vehicles into the delivery service sector, which is closely related to daily life.

Large cargo trucks have been identified as one of the main causes of air pollution in the road sector. This agreement was made to reduce air pollutant emissions from large cargo trucks using hydrogen cargo vehicles to be launched next year. Through this multilateral agreement, Hyundai Motor Company will develop and supply hydrogen cargo vehicles, and logistics companies including Coupang will utilize large hydrogen cargo trucks in freight transportation. The entire process is supported by the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Coupang plans to pilot operate a 10-ton hydrogen cargo truck developed by Hyundai Motor Company for transportation between logistics centers for Rocket Delivery by the end of next year. After analyzing the pilot operation results, Coupang will share them with cooperating parties and actively participate in activities to improve vehicle performance to increase the feasibility of actual logistics application.

Meanwhile, Coupang is focusing on eco-friendly delivery. Using the large-scale logistics infrastructure built over several years and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to optimize delivery routes, Coupang is practicing energy consumption and carbon emission reduction. It has significantly reduced delivery vehicle travel distances and purchased a 1-ton electric cargo truck last August, which has been put into actual delivery service.

Park Daejun, Head of Coupang's New Business Division, said, "E-commerce is an industry where eco-friendliness can be practiced at every stage. One of Coupang's delivery trucks is responsible for delivering to more than 100 households, replacing individual vehicle operations. We directly operate every step from order to delivery, creating an eco-friendly experience throughout the entire process." He added, "We will also strive to actively participate in the introduction of hydrogen cargo vehicles to contribute to the activation of the hydrogen economy and environmental protection."

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