Hyundai Motor Group Exhibits Hydrogen-Based Future Mobility at 'H2 MEET 2022'

Hyundai Motor Unveils Hydrogen Police Bus and Hydrogen Cleaning and Water Spraying Vehicles

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Hyundai Motor Group is taking the lead in revitalizing the hydrogen economy by showcasing a diverse lineup of hydrogen commercial vehicles and technological capabilities at the largest hydrogen industry exhibition in Korea.

Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 31st that it will participate in ‘H2 MEET 2022,’ held until the 3rd of next month, exhibiting ▲hydrogen electric bus police buses ▲hydrogen electric trucks including cleaning vehicles and water spraying vehicles as special cleaning vehicles ▲hydrogen multicopter drones ▲hydrogen fuel cell-based M.Vision tug vehicles ▲and a hydrogen-based carbon-neutral steelmaking process model.

‘H2 MEET’ is the largest hydrogen industry exhibition in Korea, which started in 2020 as the ‘Hydrogen Mobility+ Show’ and has been expanded and reorganized this year. ‘H2 MEET 2022’ features over 240 hydrogen-related companies and institutions from 16 countries, showcasing hydrogen mobility and products and technologies related to hydrogen production, storage, and transportation through exhibitions, forums, and conferences.

Hyundai Motor Group arranged various exhibits from its group companies in themed zones such as the ▲Hydrogen Technology Zone ▲Hydrogen Development Zone ▲Hydrogen Production Zone within a total exhibition area of 1,200㎡ to more easily convey hydrogen commercialization technologies and introduce hydrogen application fields.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to build networks with government, local governments, and domestic and international hydrogen industry companies participating in the exhibition to discover new demand markets for hydrogen-based mobility.

Through this H2 MEET 2022, Hyundai Motor unveiled hydrogen commercial vehicles that embody the vision of a hydrogen society where hydrogen energy can be used ‘by anyone, for everything, anywhere.’ Hyundai revealed a total of three hydrogen commercial vehicles: a hydrogen electric bus police bus and hydrogen electric trucks including cleaning vehicles and water spraying vehicles, introducing various avenues for hydrogen-based mobility.

The newly unveiled hydrogen electric bus police bus is a mass-production model newly introduced to actively promote full-scale distribution, featuring interior and exterior design changes and various convenience specifications after a demonstration project period since its first appearance in 2019. The hydrogen electric bus police bus is equipped with a total 180 kW-class fuel cell stack composed of two hydrogen fuel cells and offers a maximum driving range of 550 km on a full charge, providing excellent operational efficiency as a commercial model for public institutions.

Along with this, Hyundai unveiled for the first time eco-friendly special cleaning vehicles such as cleaning vehicles and water spraying vehicles based on the Xcient hydrogen electric truck. The hydrogen electric truck cleaning and water spraying vehicles are equipped with a 180 kW-class hydrogen fuel cell system composed of two hydrogen fuel cells and a 350 kW-class maximum output drive motor, capable of driving up to 400 km on a single charge.

The hydrogen electric truck cleaning and water spraying vehicles emit no exhaust gases compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, significantly improving the working environment for operators, and their low noise is expected to drastically reduce noise pollution in cleaning areas and residential districts. Hyundai developed the hydrogen electric truck cleaning and water spraying vehicles through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s ‘Hydrogen Electric Truck Retrofit Technology Development and Demonstration’ R&D project, and plans to conduct demonstration operations from the end of this year in collaboration with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute.

Additionally, Hyundai exhibited the ‘hydrogen multicopter drone’ based on hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, which was unveiled at the Future Air Mobility (AAM) Tech Day 2022 held last May.

The ‘hydrogen multicopter drone’ is designed to efficiently travel longer distances by simultaneously using a hydrogen fuel system and batteries, featuring a diameter of 6 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 700 kg.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis unveiled for the first time the M.Vision tug vehicle equipped with a 30 kW-class hydrogen fuel cell powerpack.

The ‘M.Vision Tug’ inherits design elements from Hyundai Mobis’s urban shared mobility concept car ‘M.Vision.’ The tug vehicle, meaning ‘to pull,’ is a special vehicle mainly used at airports for aircraft towing and baggage transport. In particular, the M.Vision Tug enhances expandability and optimizes cargo transport by connecting a ‘Dolly,’ a wheeled platform, to the vehicle.

Hyundai Mobis also exhibited a compact fuel cell powerpack installed in the M.Vision Tug. This fuel cell module is optimized for small mobility by newly developing the driving device and various shut-off valves.

Hyundai Steel exhibited a hydrogen-based carbon-neutral steelmaking process model and hydrogen fuel cell metal separator plates, which are key components of hydrogen electric vehicles.

Hyundai Steel has established ‘Hi-Cube,’ an independent electric furnace-based carbon-neutral steel production system, and announced last May that it will produce low-carbon premium steel sheets by transitioning to a hydrogen-based steel production system by 2030.

In addition, Hyundai Motor Group plans to captivate visitors with various side events at the exhibition, including a ‘Junior Engineering Classroom’ program for elementary students to create hydrogen electric vehicle models, mini drone flying experiences, and SNS hashtag events.

Furthermore, on September 2nd, Hyundai Motor’s Vice President Dongwook Kim will participate as a panelist in the international hydrogen conference panel discussion on ‘Development Plans for the Hydrogen Industry,’ contributing to discussions to revitalize the hydrogen economy.

A Hyundai Motor official stated, “We expect H2 MEET 2022 to be a great opportunity to share Hyundai Motor Group’s efforts to popularize hydrogen electric commercial vehicles and the vision for hydrogen-related industries,” adding, “We will continue to expand the hydrogen ecosystem by carrying out various cooperative projects with domestic and international governments and local governments to revitalize the hydrogen economy.”

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