The Hyundai Motor Group is changing the pace of hydrogen automobile development, which was picked as a future food source.
Hydrogen electric trucks are driving supply due to their competitiveness and performance, while new vehicle development plans are being delayed due to the delayed development of the 3rd generation fuel cell system in passenger cars.
Hyundai Motor Group leads the hydrogen car industry. On the 10th, SNE Research, a market research institute, reported 18,457 hydrogen vehicles sold from January to November last year, with Hyundai Motor’s Nexo accounting for 58.0% with 10,700 units. Toyota’s second-place Mirai sold 3,238 units (17.5%), while the other brands sold less than 1,000.
In particular, the first commercial hydrogen electric truck, Xcient, is generating a market. Hyundai Motor Group launched the hydrogen-electric truck Xcient in Korea last December. In December, it announced its entry into the Israeli market and inked a contract to supply hydrogen fuel cells for mass manufacture of commercial vehicles to Engineers, a German subsidiary of Faun Group, through its hydrogen business brand HTWO.
Hyundai also benefits from policy changes like the EU’s proposal to reduce the necessary installation spacing of hydrogen charging stations from 150 km to 100 km by 2027 and the US government’s $9.5 billion hydrogen hub.
Hyundai Motor Group is revamping its hydrogen car business plans to change the atmosphere. Hyundai Motor Group replaced the vice president-level hydrogen fuel cell development center and the hydrogen fuel cell business manager, who ran the hydrogen business, with executive people at the end of last year. Analysts from Hyundai Motor Company and outside have blamed the delay in creating the third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system.
Hyundai Motor Group revealed its goal to release a hydrogen fuel cell system by 2023 that was half the price, durable, and efficient during the 2021 “Hydrogen Wave” event. The hydrogen-related roadmap and Nexo follow-up model were delayed by 3–4 years due to poor development.
Hyundai Motor Company is reportedly concentrating on hydrogen. Hydrogen electric trucks prioritize mass manufacturing and distribution due to their great financial potential and predicted policy benefits, while passenger cars prioritize R&D to ensure marketability.
