Firefighter Recovery Support Bus Rider Choi Tae-won "Thankful to Hyundai Motor"

Preventing Firefighter Exhaustion and Supporting Fatigue Recovery
Hyundai Motor Company Donates as Part of ERT Project

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, test drove a hydrogen fuel-based firefighter recovery support vehicle at the 'KCCI Jeju Forum' held at the Shilla Hotel in Jeju on the 18th, and said, "I am very grateful that Hyundai Motor Company has created another project that generates social value through the Excellent New Entrepreneurial Spirit Council (ERT)."

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (fourth from the left), is test-driving a hydrogen fuel-based firefighter recovery support vehicle at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jeju Forum held on the 18th at the Shilla Hotel in Jeju. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The bus that Chairman Choi test drove that day is a special vehicle that firefighters can use to prevent exhaustion and relieve fatigue before and after responding to fire incidents. Hyundai Motor Company donated it free of charge last year as part of the KCCI ERT's '1st Sharing Project Together.' Hyundai Motor made a total of eight firefighter recovery support vehicles, and the last, the 8th vehicle, was produced as a hydrogen bus and delivered to the Jeju Fire Headquarters, considering the hydrogen-related facilities in Jeju.

After boarding the bus, Chairman Choi had a conversation with the nationwide chamber of commerce chairpersons in the inner meeting room while receiving an explanation from a Hyundai Motor employee. During the explanation, Chairman Choi showed particular interest in the battery by asking, "How much does the fuel cell weigh?" and "Can the fuel cell be removed and charged outside?"

The bus showcased at the forum is known to be priced at 1.1 billion KRW. Normally, a hydrogen bus costs about 630 million KRW each, but this bus required additional modification costs, bringing the total to 1.1 billion KRW, explained the Hyundai Motor employee.