Hyundai Motor to make hydrogen cars as cheap as EVs by 2030

Hyundai Motor Group plans to make hydrogen vehicles as cheap as electric vehicles within 10 years under its new 20-year hydrogen vision.

The automaker will cut the price of third-generation fuel cells by over 50 percent from the current level and make its hydrogen vehicles as cheap as electric vehicles by 2030, a company official said during the “Hydrogen Wave”, the automaker’s first global hydrogen event.

Group Chairman Chung Euisun noted that both their Hyundai and Kia brands will employ hydrogen fuel cells in all of their new commercial car models by 2028.

In the meantime, the automaker will equip its new models with either hydrogen fuel cells or batteries.

The fuel cells will be mounted on a 25-centimeter thick flat system, which is easy to install on the roof or the bottom of a vehicle. Potential applications include ships, trains, trams, and air taxis, Chung added.

During the virtual event, Chung also introduced the e-Bogie, a four-wheeled, hydrogen fuel cell-powered trailer drone that can be loaded with containers, which on a single charge could travel 1,000 kilometers, something the EV can’t do.

Hyundai Motor projects 7 million unit sales per year of the e-Bogie by 2030.

The automaker also debuted its hydrogen-powered sports car, the Vision FK, which could go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in less than four seconds. It offers a maximum driving range of 600 kilometers.

Chung also showcased a portable hydrogen charging station as a solution to South Korea's weak hydrogen infrastructure.

The H Moving Station, a hydrogen charger-equipped truck, can travel anywhere and provide refueling, where there are limited hydrogen charging stations.