[Car Talk Forest] Hydrogen Energy Applied to Buses, Trucks, and Ships... Expanding the Ecosystem to UAM

Hyundai Motor "Aims to Expand the Use of Hydrogen Energy" Ambition

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is examining Hyundai Motor Company's future eco-system at the 'Hydrogen Mobility+ Show' held on the 1st at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] "Hydrogen is no longer a matter of choice but a path we must inevitably take."

Hyundai Motor Company has once again expressed its ambition to significantly expand the scope of hydrogen energy utilization beyond passenger cars. This was announced at the opening of the '1st Hydrogen Mobility+ Show' held on the 1st. At the forum held the day after the opening ceremony, Kim Se-hoon, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor's Fuel Cell Business Division, who appeared as a speaker, shared his vision, saying, "We will develop various future mobility solutions and expand global business using hydrogen fuel cell systems."

The areas Hyundai Motor identified for hydrogen fuel cell application include passenger cars, buses, trucks, ships, railroads, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Of course, the most fundamental is passenger cars. EVP Kim said, "Many countries are already pushing to ban internal combustion engine vehicle registrations between 2025 and 2040," adding, "As awareness of the concept of hydrogen increases, the era of hydrogen electric vehicles is expected to arrive sooner," expressing a positive outlook.

The related technology development has already been completed, and the remaining challenge, according to EVP Kim, is to reduce costs so that passenger hydrogen electric vehicles can be purchased without subsidies. In fact, at this event, there was also mention of the hydrogen vehicle that will succeed the Nexo, which was launched in 2018, attracting attention. Chung Eui-sun, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, personally announced, "We plan to release the successor model to the Nexo in 3 to 4 years."

Recently, the hottest topic in the hydrogen industry has been buses and trucks. Unlike the passenger car market, where fierce debates continue over whether to go electric or hydrogen, there is a consensus that medium and larger buses and trucks must go hydrogen. Large trucks are heavy and often used for long-distance transport, making electric vehicles unsuitable. Conversely, many electric vehicles are released in the small passenger car segment for the opposite reasons. In line with this, Hyundai Motor is also working to expand export markets, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to supply 1,600 large hydrogen trucks to Switzerland by 2025.

Beyond automobiles, hydrogen is also being focused on as an auxiliary or alternative power source in the ship and railroad markets. Due to strengthened environmental regulations and pollution caused by oil tanker accidents, calls for eco-friendly ships have increased. Hydrogen ships are expected to be commercialized first because of their advantages in charging time and storage convenience.

Another future growth area Hyundai is focusing on is UAM, where integration with hydrogen fuel cells is anticipated. Currently, UAM is planned to operate on batteries, but for long-distance travel, hydrogen energy will ultimately need to be utilized. EVP Kim expressed expectations, saying, "In the future, hydrogen fuel cells will be harmoniously used as power sources for medium- to long-distance aircraft, and hydrogen turbines for long distances." He also forecasted that developing high-density and lightweight fuel cell systems could enable high value-added commercialization.

The reason Hyundai Motor wants to integrate hydrogen into so many fields beyond the truck market, which will be a definite partner in the hydrogen industry, is simple. The core is 'economies of scale.' This is the same context as why Hyundai is eager to enter the passenger hydrogen vehicle market. The market will choose the energy that can be used more efficiently between electricity and hydrogen. However, only when hydrogen energy is applied across various industries can it be integrated into daily life faster and at a lower cost. This is why Hyundai Motor is passionately working to create a hydrogen ecosystem.

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