Hyundai's Hydrogen Horizon: Unveiling CES 2024's Fuel Cell Vehicle and Software Pioneering

INTRODUCTION:

Hyundai , a South Korean automaker, along with GM, Toyota and Honda are adopting hydrogen fuel cell technology. CES is an annual trade show organised by Consumer Technoloy Association,held this year at at the Las Vegas Convention Center , Nevada, USA. In CES, under the theme' Ease every way' Hyundai Motor highligheted their blue print for a hydrogen energy ecosystem and a vision for software and artificial intelligence(AI).

Hydrogen Production,Storage,Transportaton and Utilization:

For nearly half of the company's existence, Hyundai has been at the forefront of hydrogen momentum, achieving many firsts, including the world's first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). It has now the world's highest market share in hydrogen powered vehicle sales.

Hydrogen plays an important role in Hyundai's sustainability roadmap as it is a clean energy source, where water is the only by-product when used as fuel. It enables the maximum use of renewable energy worldwide due to its storage and distribution facilities. Hyundai sees hydrogen as the path to a sustainable future, as it is both clean and accessible.

Hyundai's hydrogen solutions go beyond passenger cars, trucks and buses to include trams, special equipment, ships, power generators and advanced wind mobility. The company is driving the energy transition as a major hydrogen off-taker.

In addition, the group is focusing on resource circulation hydrogen production technology that aims to convert environmental pollutants into clean hydrogen. The resource circulation technologies that Hyundai focuses on include two approaches: waste-to-hydrogen (W2H) and plastic-to-hydrogen (P2H). W2H involves fermentation of organic waste, such as food, sludge and livestock manure, to produce biogas. This biogas is then treated to capture carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. P2H, on the other hand, involves melting waste plastic that cannot be recycled, gasifying the melted plastic and removing the unwanted material to produce hydrogen.

During the presentation, Chang Hwan Kim, senior vice president and head of hydrogen fuel cell and battery development, explained that Hyundai is also building megawatt-scale polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer manufacturing capacity for green hydrogen production, which is expected to be commercialized. The next few years. Hyundai, by sharing fuel cell system components, plans to achieve a competitive price compared to existing PEM technology. Although the current market price of PEM electrolyzers is about 1.5 times higher than that of alkaline electrolyzers, the company is confident that the price will drop below that of alkaline electrolyzers through component sharing.

In addition, the group is focusing on resource circulation hydrogen production technology that aims to convert environmental pollutants into clean hydrogen. The resource circulation technologies that Hyundai focuses on include two approaches: waste-to-hydrogen (W2H) and plastic-to-hydrogen (P2H). W2H involves fermentation of organic waste, such as food, sludge and livestock manure, to produce biogas. This biogas is then treated to capture carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. P2H, on the other hand, involves melting waste plastic that cannot be recycled, gasifying the melted plastic and removing the unwanted material to produce hydrogen.

SDx: Building a user-centric mobility ecosystem by defining vehicles, fleets and transportation systems with software and AI :

Hyundai is undergoing a software-driven transformation led by the entire group. As a provider of smart mobility solutions, Hyundai recognizes the importance of software and AI in building a user-centric mobility ecosystem. At CES, the company announced its 'Software-Defined Everything' (SDx) strategy, which aims to transform all running devices, fleets and ecosystems into valuable assets through advanced software and AI.

Through its SDx strategy, the group aims to create a dynamic ecosystem that can meet the needs of users anytime and anywhere. To achieve this, the group is transforming everything from vehicle development to building the entire mobility ecosystem into a software-defined approach. It believes software and AI are capable of achieving this vision by providing a holistic user experience without limitations and is dedicated to providing mobility services and solutions that prioritize convenience and security.

The ultimate goal is to create a concept called 'cloud transportation' where software, AI-defined devices and mobility come together to create a dynamic ecosystem where transportation is easily accessible to everyone. Referred to as 'Transportation-as-a-Service', this concept allows users to freely access transport and mobility services as needed. Everyone, including devices and city infrastructure, will be interconnected within an ecosystem, enabling on-demand access to transportation and automatically increasing the intelligence of mobility solutions over time. The group is currently operating various advanced mobility services, such as demand-responsive transportation and self-driving taxis, and is collecting data to further advance SDV technology, including autonomous driving, to lay the foundation for cloud transportation.

As a mobility solutions provider, our vision goes beyond vehicles," said Chang Song, president and head of Hyundai Motor Group's SDV division. “It's about empowering a dynamic ecosystem. We see movement as a new source of knowledge and innovation. And our solutions and devices make that knowledge universally useful".

Unveiling The Future:

Hyundai's presence at CES 2024 not only unveiled a future but also lit a beacon of hope. The integration of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and sophisticated software solutions shows a roadmap that extends beyond conventional mobility. It presents a vision of a sustainable and intelligent future, where vehicles don't just transport us but actively contribute to a cleaner environment and a more connected world.

As Hyundai continues to advance hydrogen technology and software integration, their commitment to shaping a better future for mobility stands as a testament to their dedication to innovation and sustainability.

CES 2024 marked a significant milestone, illuminating Hyundai's hydrogen horizon—an innovative blend of sustainable energy, advanced technology, and the promise of a brighter future for all.

Source: hyundai.com