Hyundai Motor Group Looks To Popularize Hydrogen by 2040
At the Hydrogen Wave global online forum, Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has set out its vision for hydrogen energy and a global hydrogen society.
Further underscoring its pioneering commitment to clean sustainable energy for all types of mobility, the Group unveiled plans that will see the electrification of all new commercial vehicle models – featuring fuel cell electric or battery electric powertrains, as well as the application of fuel cell systems – to all models by 2028.
Representing the Group’s plans for a new ‘wave’ of hydrogen-based products and technologies that advances the journey toward a hydrogen society, the Hydrogen Wave activities kicked off with an online presentation – led by chairman of the Group, Euisun Chung, and other senior executives. The team outlined the Group’s future hydrogen strategy for fuel cell systems and fuel cell-based solutions for mobility and other areas.
The Group’s central target to fully apply its commercial vehicle lineup with fuel cells by 2028 will make it the first global automaker to realize such ambitions for commercial vehicle transportation and will further help facilitate the transition to true sustainable mobility.
“Hyundai Motor Group’s vision is to apply hydrogen energy in all areas of life and industry such as our homes, work-places and factories. The goal is to make hydrogen readily used for everyone, everything, and everywhere,” said Chairman Chung at the Hydrogen Wave online global forum. “We want to offer practical solutions for the sustainable development of humanity and with these breakthroughs, we aim to help foster a worldwide Hydrogen Society by 2040.”
Since the development of its first FCEV in 1998, the Group has been preparing for the future of hydrogen. In 2013, the Tucson FCEV (ix35 Fuel Cell) was introduced, opening the door to the mass production of FCEVs. Then, in 2018, the company launched the next-generation fuel cell SUV, NEXO, and the world’s first heavy-duty fuel cell truck, XCIENT Fuel Cell, in 2020.
Now, the Group is backing hydrogen to play a significant role in building a sustainable future and reducing society’s dependence on fossil fuels. After two decades at the forefront of fuel cell technology development, the Group will expand its fuel cell technologies for wider applications of its vehicles, including additional mobility solutions and various energy utilization.
According to the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led initiative of leading energy, transport, industry and investment companies, hydrogen energy will account for 18 percent of global energy demand by 2050, with a market size of USD 2.5 trillion. The popularization of hydrogen energy will also help cut CO2 emissions by more than six billion tons a year, while creating over 30 million new jobs.
Hydrogen Vision 2040 – Carbon neutrality solution via an energy paradigm shift
The Group has already started mass-producing a greatly improved version of the current XCIENT Fuel Cell, a mass produced fuel cell heavy-duty truck. It is also developing a tractor based on the XCIENT Fuel Cell that will be released in 2023. During Hydrogen Wave, the Group also unveiled the ‘Trailer Drone’ concept, a hydrogen-powered container transportation system capable of operating fully autonomously, with a double e-Bogie configuration.
Through the development of hydrogen commercial vehicles, the Group will promote the complete transition of Korea’s public transportation and logistics systems to hydrogen-based solutions – with a view to setting the benchmark for the world.
In addition, the Group will fully re-energize global commercial vehicle markets including Europe – which at present consists of 400,000 new units a year – through its advanced next-generation fuel cell technologies. The Group will develop a 5- to 7-meter fuel cell PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) to target the global light commercial vehicle market projected for seven million unit sales per year by 2030. This will be in part undertaken by an expansion in its business capabilities and applying autonomous driving and robotics to the commercial vehicle sector.
The Group is also planning to introduce a new generation fuel cell system in 2023 that realizes a reduced price and volume with significantly improved durability and output. Through ongoing R&D gains, engineering teams for the Group have been able to reduce fuel cell costs drastically over the last 20 years. By ensuring price competitiveness, the Group’s goal is to achieve a fuel cell vehicle price point comparable to a battery electric vehicle by 2030.
During Hydrogen Wave, the Group also presented a series of new fuel cell systems including a new prototype of its third-generation fuel cell stack – a higher-powered, efficiently packaged successor to the NEXO system – that is planned for market introduction in 2023.
