[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Motor Company has been actively targeting the global eco-friendly vehicle market utilizing hydrogen energy by consecutively succeeding in exporting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and key components. The company has exported hydrogen fuel cell trucks and hydrogen fuel cell systems to the advanced eco-friendly vehicle market in Europe, as well as achieved meaningful results by exporting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern oil-producing country.
According to the automotive industry on the 1st, Hyundai Motor shipped hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell buses to Saudi Arabia from Ulsan Port on the 27th of last month. The vehicles headed to Saudi Arabia that day included a total of four units: two hydrogen fuel cell vehicles Nexo and two hydrogen fuel cell buses ElecCity FCEV.
This export marks the first case of exporting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the Middle East oil-producing countries, and it is especially significant as the ElecCity FCEV hydrogen fuel cell bus is being exported overseas for the first time.
The export destination is Saudi Aramco, a global integrated energy and chemical company in Saudi Arabia. Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aramco in June last year to expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles within Saudi Arabia. The Nexo and ElecCity FCEV supplied this time will be used for demonstration projects through pilot operations locally in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Hyundai Motor succeeded in exporting hydrogen fuel cell trucks and hydrogen fuel cell systems to Europe, a region advanced in eco-friendly vehicle adoption. On the 16th of last month, four hydrogen fuel cell systems were exported to two European countries through Busan Port, and in July, ten hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks 'Xcient' were shipped and exported to Switzerland.
The hydrogen fuel cell system exported by Hyundai Motor is a 95kW-class fuel cell system installed in the hydrogen fuel cell sport utility vehicle (SUV) Nexo. The Swiss hydrogen storage technology company GRZ Technology and a European energy solution startup that imported this system plan to manufacture emergency power supply and eco-friendly mobile generators using the hydrogen fuel cell system.
Additionally, the Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck successfully exported to Switzerland is a 34-ton class large cargo truck equipped with a 190kW-class hydrogen fuel cell system composed of two hydrogen fuel cells and a driving motor with a maximum output of 350kW (476 horsepower).
A Hyundai Motor official said, "We are increasing the utilization possibilities of hydrogen energy beyond the automotive sector by succeeding in exporting not only various hydrogen fuel cell mass-produced vehicles but also hydrogen fuel cell systems," adding, "We will continue to expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles worldwide through steady exports."
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