While Hyundai is due to speak today in Las Vegas, on the eve of the *CES, about its vision of hydrogen, a partnership has been announced with an American membrane manufacturer.

The company in question is W.L. Gore & Associates, which specialises in materials innovation. For the record, it is responsible for the famous Gore-Tex garment. This Delaware-based company has been working with Hyundai-Kia for 15 years. The agreement signed in South Korea “opens a new chapter.” The aim is to develop a next-generation PEM membrane for fuel cells designed for commercial vehicles.

As Hyundai and Gore pointed out in a press release, the proton exchange membrane (PEM) plays a crucial role in the performance and durability of a fuel cell. And these are two essential criteria in Hyundai’s strategy, which is now focusing more on heavy-duty mobility. Without giving up on cars, the Korean giant also wants to address commercial vehicles (vans, trucks), as well as boats, aerospace and generators.

“By leveraging the 15 years of collaboration, we will acquire advanced fuel cell technology and lead the fuel cell electric vehicle market, accelerating the movement towards a sustainable future,” says Chang Hwan Kim, Head of Battery Development and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Development at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation.

*CES: Consumers Electronics Show

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King