Hyundai’s autonomous hydrogen truck in the works
On September 7, the Korean manufacturer unveiled its strategy on YouTube at the Hydrogen Wave event.
Hyundai’s autonomous hydrogen truck in the works
The first announcement concerns the trailer drone: a hydrogen truck with a futuristic look that is autonomous and connected. Its range is 1,000 km (621 miles). The second announcement is about a system called e-Bogie which improves manoeuvring (and other applications could be found outside logistics).
Hyundai will first launch a new fuel cell system as of 2023 in 100 and 200 kW versions with a reduced size (-30%) and reduced cost (-50%). It will be applied in the commercial vehicle segment such as buses and trucks. The XCient Fuel Cell is already the first H2 truck in large-scale production. There are 45 of them on the road in Switzerland travelling 210,000 km per month (about 130,500 miles). Another tractor is being tested in California. Eventually, the entire range of vans, trucks and buses will be available in hydrogen by 2028. This will include a 5 to 7m long autonomous vehicle with sales volumes of 7 million per year by 2030. A delivery vehicle with a 30 kW battery will also be available.
Hyundai is also offering packs (30 and 50 kW) for forklifts and excavators.
Some announcements about the automobile sector
The other announcement is about the automobile sector. By 2030, the Korean giant predicts that it will be able to offer a hydrogen vehicle at an equivalent cost to that of a battery electric model while preparing the arrival of a sports car. This hybrid car, called VisionFK, can develop a power of more than 500 kW and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mi/h) in 4 seconds. The vehicle, which claims a range of 600 km (about 372 miles), combines a fuel cell -which is used as a converter- and a rechargeable hybrid drive.
Hyundai has also announced the arrival of an emergency drone. Its ambition is to deploy hydrogen in all forms of mobility, on land, at sea and in the air by 2040.
In terms of infrastructure the manufacturer offers a mobile filling station (H Moving Station). It has also developed a hydrogen-based emergency generator for recharging electric vehicles. This is already being used to recharge electric cars entering in the Pure ETCR championship.
Hyundai will also be exhibiting its vision of the hydrogen society of tomorrow in the form of an exhibition (HydroVILLE) in the city of Goyang from September 8 to 11. It will feature 18 products developed by Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Rotem, Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Wia and Hyundai Kefico.
Do you want to learn more about Hyundai? Then our latest article on the Korean manufacturer should interest you. You can read it here.
Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King.
