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Hyundai Motors’ hydrogen tractor (provided by Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun said hydrogen is “one of the most powerful and pragmatic solutions for overcoming environmental challenges” during a virtual “Hydrogen Wave” forum held by the group on Tuesday.

He also said the company plans to make 2040 “year one” for the popularization of hydrogen energy.

Around the world, a contest is shaping up among automobile manufacturers, with a battery electric vehicle (BEV) camp consisting of companies like US-based Tesla facing off against a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCEV) camp.

The biggest players in the eco-friendly FCEV camp are South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation.

Recently, the BEV camp has been gaining ground with increased sales of vehicles using Tesla Model 3 lithium-ion batteries. Now the Hyundai Motor Group is challenging hydrogen skeptics by spotlighting its new models and the cost-cutting technologies it has established to date.

On Tuesday, Chung said that going forward, all new commercial vehicles, such as buses and heavy-duty trucks, will be sold only as FCEVs and BEVs to hasten the arrival of what he called a “hydrogen society.”

He also said that “by 2028 we plan to become the first global automaker to apply a fuel cell system to all commercial vehicle models.”

A BEV makes use of chemical reactions involving the metal lithium. The battery is charged when plugged into a charger, producing electricity as the vehicle moves.

In contrast, an FCEV produces electricity as hydrogen is introduced to the vehicle, at which point a fuel cell that serves like an internal generator combines oxygen and hydrogen from the air.

Both are similar in that they do not rely on fossil fuels to operate their engine, which means that they do not emit carbon dioxide. Despite their steep price tag, hydrogen vehicles are seen as holding an advantage, with long driving distances per charge and a short sub-10-minute charging time.

The reason Hyundai Motor has focused its attention on commercial vehicles rather than cars is because of the advantages of applying hydrogen technology to trucks and other vehicles that carry large loads.

Large and heavy batteries negatively affect the mileage of large trucks, which have to travel long distances, and reduce the space available for freight.

Having exported the Xcient to Switzerland last year as its first hydrogen-based truck, Hyundai Motor plans to put Xcient trucks on the domestic market during the first half of 2022.

It also announced plans to drastically reduce the price of FCEVs by 2023 through mass production of “half-price fuel cell systems.” The group maintains that it can slash prices to the level of BEVs by around 2030.

Hyundai Motor’s high-performance hydrogen car, the Vision FK (provided by Hyundai Motor Group)

Also presented were high-performance hydrogen sports cars; relief vehicles capable of carrying fuel cells and chargers for emergency supplies of electricity to disaster areas and BEVs; and “trailer drones” capable of transporting heavy containers without drivers through the use of autonomous vehicle technology.

The high-performance FCEV dubbed the Vision FK is being co-developed with Rimac Automobili, a Croatian high-performance EV company Hyundai Motor Group has invested in. The vehicle can reportedly accelerate from zero to 100 kph (62 mph) in less than four seconds.

The Hyundai Motor Group’s decision to organize a separate event focused on promoting hydrogen energy appeared to be an attempt to counter market skepticism about hydrogen technology’s commercialization potential and solicit cooperation.

The popularization of hydrogen-based vehicles and hydrogen energy technology remains a long way off.

During the first half of 2021, fewer than 10,000 FCEVs were sold on the global market. The Nexo, a FCEV that Hyundai first began mass-producing in 2018, sold just over 5,000 units between January and June. Low sales can be attributed to a lack of hydrogen charging stations and other infrastructure.

But South Korean corporations and the governments of Germany, China and other countries have been throwing their support behind the FCEV camp.

Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, introduces the automaker’s vision for hydrogen at an online event called “Hydrogen Wave” on Tuesday. (provided by Hyundai Motor Group)

Joining Chung among the prospective members of a hydrogen corporation council to be launched in South Korea this month are SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, and Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon. The companies are actively pursuing new projects as part of a network including hydrogen production, storage and supply.

Chung Eui-sun said that global infrastructure, and the building of hydrogen charging stations in particular, will be crucial for achieving a hydrogen society.

He called for cooperation between private and public sectors to build the necessary infrastructure.

By Park Jong-o, staff reporter

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