Hyundai Lays Out Optimistic Hydrogen Future, Largely Silent on Fuel Source
By Edward A. Sanchez – Sept. 8, 2021
Concurrent with the IAA 2021 Show in Munich, Hyundai Motor Group announced its Hydrogen Vision 2040 initiative, with a significant emphasis on commercial vehicles and applications. While many other companies have de-emphasized hydrogen fuel cell development, or dropped it altogether, the Hyundai Group, like Toyota, have remained steadfastly committed to the development of the technology.
Unlike Toyota, the Hyundai Group has also been very aggressive in its battery-electric development efforts, with the imminent introduction of its E-GMP models, and before that, the Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV long-range models. Below are summaries of the announcements related to Hydrogen Vision 2040. As part of the initiative, Hyundai will showcase its vision for the hydrogen future at its HydroVILLE exhibition in Goyang, Korea, on Sept. 8-11, 2021.
Third Generation Fuel Cell
The Hyundai Group is now in the third generation of its fuel cell development, with the second-generation coming to market only in 2018 in the Nexo FCEV crossover. The third-generation fuel cell stack currently in development is designed to increase the durability over the second-generation unit by 50-100%, with a goal of 500,000 km (310,000 miles), with a cost reduction of more than 50%.
The stacks will be offered in 100 kW and 200 kW configurations, designed to be modular, and will be offered in configurations from 500 kW to 1 MW.
A low-profile “Full-Flat System” was also shown, with a stack height of just 25 cm (9.8 inches) designed for use in applications such as buses and trams, where space utilization is a priority.
Fuel cell development is nothing new for the Hyundai Group, with its latest iteration reportedly being more durable and affordable than those that came before.
Trailer Drone/e-Bogie
The Trailer Drone concept combines fuel cell and autonomous technology to reimagine how cargo containers move in shipping docks, without the need for an on-board human operator.
Hyundai claims the Trailer Drone is capable of going 1,000 km (621 miles) on a single charge.
“Bogie” is the term for rail trucks under train cars, and how the company describes its self-contained motorized fuel cell units, with the trailer drone utilizing two per container box, at the front and the rear. Unlike conventional tractor-trailer approaches, the e-Bogie system can drive forward, reverse, and sideways, as well as go in opposite directions, or in tandem with other Trailer Drones to operate in a convoy-type configuration. Hyundai claims the concept could be used in a variety of applications, including ground logistics, construction, firefighting, and disaster relief.
Hyundai Group’s Trailer Drone concept allows for hydrogen-powered autonomous maneuvering of trailers in shipping yards.
H Moving Station/Rescue Hydrogen Generator Vehicle
Similar to the temporary Superchargers Tesla has sometimes set up during holiday travel times, the H moving station is a heavy-duty vehicle with on-board hydrogen filling stations. To demonstrate that FCEVs and BEVs can perhaps be friends, Hyundai also showed its Rescue Hydrogen Generator Vehicle (RHGV) to provide EV charging in remote or off-grid areas with 220V and three-phase 380V power.
Could EVs be indirectly powered by hydrogen? The Hyundai Group has revealed a portable concept that does just that.
Vision FK Concept
Finally, Hyundai showed its Vision FK concept, a high-performance passenger car with a claimed output of 500 kW (671 hp), and 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of less than four seconds. Hyundai claims a 600 km (373 mile) range. The on-board battery and power electronics for the Vision FK were reportedly co-developed with Rimac.
Hyundai Group’s Vision FK fuel cell concept showcases electronics developed, in part, by Rimac.
My Take
The Watt Car’s Phil Royle and others have accused me of being a “hydrogen hater,” and to be fair, I don’t exactly share the utopian vision that some do for it being the ubiquitous fuel of the future. Hydrogen’s current advantage over batteries is refueling time. While that gap is narrowing, it is still a notable advantage, and one that is amplified in the context of heavy trucks and equipment. So, I admit there is a use case for hydrogen in those applications.
But a lot of aspirations for hydrogen kind of hinge on “hopes and dreams.” Even in Hyundai’s official press release, Hyundai Group chairman Euisun Chung is quoted as saying, “The Group seeks to offer powerful and pragmatic solutions for combatting climate change via the tremendous potential of hydrogen energy.”
There’s that word again: potential. There’s been a lot of talk about “green” hydrogen, but the reality of making it happen on a sustainable, low-impact, low-cost basis remains elusive. Part of that is simply endemic to physics, and is an inescapable obstacle. Even harvesting renewable energy for making hydrogen makes for a pitifully poor energy yield and utilization compared to direct utilization of that energy for BEVs.
I concede that hydrogen’s current advantage in refueling time, an edge that it will likely maintain for a decade or more, and one that makes it well-suited to time-sensitive freight and commercial applications. But in terms of hydrogen being a universal transport fuel, and the majority of personal and passenger cars being FCEVs, I don’t see it happening.
(Images courtesy Hyundai Group)
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