Hyundai Kia Motors Appoints Martin Zeilinger as Vice President of Commercial Development

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Kia Motors announced on the 30th that it has appointed Martin Zeilinger (photo), former head of electrification technology development at Daimler Trucks, as Vice President of Commercial Development at the R&D Headquarters.

Starting from July, Vice President Zeilinger will join Hyundai Motor Group and oversee the development of commercial vehicles at Hyundai Kia Motors. He will play a key role in accelerating the development of eco-friendly commercial vehicles such as hydrogen fuel cell trucks and buses, integrating innovative technologies, and enhancing the competitiveness of commercial R&D.

Vice President Zeilinger is regarded as a top expert who has worked as a commercial vehicle developer at Daimler Group for over 30 years. He holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and joined Mercedes-Benz Trucks in 1987, starting with truck powertrain testing. In 1998, he was responsible for engine auxiliary systems and participated in the company's platform integration efforts.

In 2004, he moved to Evobus, a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks, where he worked on expanding engines that meet European environmental regulations for Mercedes-Benz buses and developed hydrogen fuel cell and diesel hybrid city buses. In 2014, he led advanced development at Daimler Trucks, spearheading projects for urban electric trucks and autonomous trucks. From 2018 until recently, he served as head of electrification technology development at Daimler Trucks.

Martin Zeilinger, Vice President of Hyundai Kia Motors

Hyundai Kia Motors expects Vice President Zeilinger's expertise and experience in developing future innovative technologies to contribute to securing global leadership in the commercial vehicle sector. In particular, this recruitment is expected to accelerate the development of future commercial vehicles such as hydrogen fuel cell trucks and buses and autonomous trucks.

In September last year, Hyundai Motor established a joint venture called 'Hyundai Hydrogen' with Swiss energy company H2E and agreed to supply 1,600 hydrogen fuel cell trucks to Europe by 2025. Additionally, it signed an MOU with American engine and generator company Cummins to supply hydrogen fuel cell systems for commercial vehicles in North America.

In June and October last year, Hyundai unveiled new hydrogen fuel cell buses and high-speed police hydrogen fuel cell buses, expanding its commercial business using hydrogen fuel cells. Furthermore, in 2018, it demonstrated Level 3 autonomous driving technology on a large trailer autonomous truck over approximately 40 km between Uiwang and Incheon for freight transport. Last year, it also succeeded in platooning with two large trucks on the Yeoju Smart Highway.

Vice President Zeilinger said, "The commercial vehicle industry faces environmental and economic challenges, but there are also opportunities to improve efficiency and the environment through new technologies and vehicles. I look forward to fulfilling my role in this new business environment."

Albert Biermann, Head of R&D at Hyundai Kia Motors, said, "Vice President Zeilinger's extensive technical knowledge and experience will greatly contribute to the development of future innovative commercial vehicles. I am confident that Hyundai Motor Group's world-class hydrogen fuel cell technology will expand into the commercial vehicle sector."

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