[Asia Economy Reporter Su Su-yeon] Hyundai Motor Group, accelerating exports of hydrogen electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell systems, is playing a leading role in advancing toward a hydrogen society. On the 30th, President Moon Jae-in personally visited Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant, where the hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo is produced, to encourage those leading innovation in future vehicles.
Arriving at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant in the hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo, President Moon promised bold investment and support in the future vehicle sector, which will serve as a driving force for the rebound of the Korean economy. President Moon declared 2022 as the "first year of popularization of future vehicles" and praised Hyundai Motor not only for technological innovation but also as the "number one company" in labor-management cooperation and future vision.
President Moon Jae-in is talking with Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, after attending the 'Future Car Strategy Talk Show' held at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan Plant on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Moon Shows Interest in Nexo... Chairman Chung Plans to Extend Driving Range to 800km
President Moon toured the hydrogen tank assembly process of the Nexo, with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun accompanying him and explaining the process. Since his inauguration, President Moon has shown special interest in the future vehicle industry and met Chairman Chung 17 times at official events, including the national vision declaration ceremony for the future vehicle industry. This was the first meeting since Chairman Chung took office as group chairman.
While inspecting the plant, President Moon asked questions such as "Where is the hydrogen tank located?" and "How far can it drive on a single charge?" Chairman Chung replied, "It can drive up to 609 km on a single charge," and added, "We plan to increase it to 800 km in the future."
Hyundai Motor Group's next-generation hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo surpassed 10,000 units sold domestically as of the end of October. This is the world's first time that hydrogen electric vehicle sales exceeded 10,000 units in a single country. This achievement was made possible by the active hydrogen electric vehicle promotion policies of the Korean government.
On the same day, President Moon, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi, participated in a demonstration of Hyundai Mobis's autonomous driving concept car 'M.Vision S' and rode in the autonomous vehicle themselves. President Moon announced plans to commercialize level 4 autonomous vehicles by 2027, the world's first, and mentioned the creation of a business restructuring support group to help 1,000 auto parts companies transition to future vehicle businesses by 2030.
After the autonomous vehicle ride, President Moon asked, "When will autonomous driving be possible to the extent that drivers do not need to drive and can engage in activities such as entertainment?" Chairman Chung answered, "It will be possible around 2025 to 2026."
President Moon Jae-in is test-driving an autonomous driving concept car together with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun after attending the 'Future Car Strategy Talk Show' held at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News
Hyundai Motor Group: "We Will Become the Catalyst for Korea's Green New Deal Policy"
Hyundai Motor Group declared that it will lead the eco-friendly vehicle market by fully transitioning to an electric vehicle business system starting next year and become a key player in Korea's Green New Deal policy. Hyundai Motor President Lee Won-hee said, "In 2021, we plan to launch a total of four electric vehicles, including the first dedicated electric vehicle under the Ioniq brand," adding, "It will be the first year to lead the eco-friendly vehicle market."
He continued, "Facing the era of a major transition to future vehicles, Hyundai Motor will build a future vehicle ecosystem by partnering with small and medium-sized enterprises and startups to lead the new Korean automobile industry," emphasizing, "We will develop various eco-friendly vehicles and create new industries to serve as the catalyst for Korea's Green New Deal policy."
At the event, Hyundai-Kia's dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP was unveiled for the first time. E-GMP is the vehicle skeleton developed exclusively for electric vehicles by Hyundai-Kia. Hyundai-Kia expects that by introducing this dedicated platform first in the Ioniq 5 launching next year, it will be able to shorten the electric vehicle production process and reduce costs.
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