As global efforts continue to make strides toward decarbonization, Hyundai Motor Group is also riding the “Hydrogen wave” and has presented its vision of a future hydrogen society and the various solutions it has developed.
Let's learn more about the next-generation fuel cell system that will advance the popularization of hydrogen energy.
2. Hyundai
Motor
Group
02
Intro
Hydrogen Wave
Hyundai Motor Group has presented a vision for a future
hydrogen society and various solutions at “Hydrogen Wave.”
Among them, the newly unveiled next-generation fuel cell system
is a key technology that will advance the popularization of hydrogen energy.
3. Hyundai
Motor
Group
03
Intro
As countries around the world are making efforts
towards decarbonization, Hyundai Motor Group
is also trying to change the energy paradigm for
carbon neutrality.
The Group has been preparing for an eco-friendly
era by starting the development of hydrogen fuel
cells in 1998, and recently announced
“Hydrogen Vision 2040,” which aims to popular-
ize hydrogen energy by 2040, at Hydrogen Wave.
4. Hyundai
Motor
Group
04
Intro
Next-generation Fuel Cell System
Hyundai Motor Group unveiled the prototype of a next-generation
fuel cell system, a key technology that will advance the popularization
of hydrogen energy. This next-generation fuel cell system has achieved
innovations in various fields such as performance, volume, durability
and price competitiveness.
The group plans to apply its next-generation fuel cell system to various
forms of hydrogen mobility in the future.
7. Hyundai
Motor
Group
07
Hydrogen
Electric
Vehicle
Hydrogen Electric Vehicle
The fuel cell system, the heart of hydrogen mobility, acts like the engine
of an internal combustion engine vehicle. Electric energy is generated through
a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and this electric energy drives the motor.
The hydrogen fuel cell vehicle(FCEV) is attracting a lot of attention as an eco-friendly vehicle
with zero carbon emissions in the global market. Its biggest advantages are the
fast charging time of only 3 to 5 minutes, and the fact that it only discharges pure water.
8. History of Hyundai Motor Group’s
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Development
Hyundai
Motor
Group
08
Hydrogen
Electric
Vehicle
2000 Santa Fe FCEV 2013 Tucson ix Fuel Cell 2020 XCIENT Hydrogen
Fuel Cell Truck
2004 Tucson FCEV 2018 NEXO
· 75kW fuel cell system
· Driving range 160km
· Equipped with the world’s first
350bar high-pressure
hydrogen storage tank
· 2002 Fuel Cell Road Rally
completed
· 100kW fuel cell stack
· Driving range 588km
· The world’s first mass produced
hydrogen fuel cell vehicle model
· 1st place Future Auto Award at
2013 Brussels Auto Show
in Belgium
· 190kW fuel cell stack
· Driving range 400km
· The world’s first mass produced
hydrogen fuel cell
heavy-duty truck model
· 80kW fuel cell stack
· Driving range 300km
· Core fuel cell technology
developed in Korea
· 113kW fuel cell stack
· Driving range 609km
· Achieved the highest Euro NCAP
rating(5 stars) for the first time
for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
· 2019 WardsAuto 10
Best Engines Award
2000 2004 2013 2018 2020
9. Hyundai
Motor
Group
09
Hydrogen
Electric
Vehicle
Hyundai Motor Group has been working hard on de-
veloping technology using hydrogen energy since
1998. As a result, it succeeded in mass-producing hy-
drogen fuel cell vehicles for the first time in the world
in 2013.
In 2018, it launched the NEXO, a hydrogen fuel cell
vehicle based on the second-generation fuel cell sys-
tem. In 2020, it established a mass production sys-
tem for hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks for the
first time in the world.
12. Hyundai
Motor
Group
12
Fuel
Cell
System
Fuel Cell System
In order to popularize hydrogen energy, it is essential to secure the price
competitiveness of the fuel cell system and durability that allows
long-term trouble-free driving.
As a result of continuous research, the Group has developed
a next-generation fuel cell system that overcomes existing limitations.
13. The core of a fuel cell system is a stack in which mul-
tiple cells are combined.
Thecellscreateapassageforsupplyinghydrogenand
oxygen, and consist of two metal bipolar plates that
support the stack structure, a gas diffusion layer(G-
DL), and a membrane electrode assembly(MEA) that
produces electricity by causing a chemical reaction
between hydrogen and oxygen.
Hyundai
Motor
Group
13
Fuel
Cell
System
EGA
GDL : Gas Diffusion Layer
PEM : Polymer Electrolyte Membrane
MEA : Membrane Electrode Assembly
EGA : Electric Generator Assembly(MEA + GDL)
14. Lowering the prices of these parts is of the utmost
importance.
Hyundai Motor Group secured price competitiveness
by replacing expensive titanium with a steel-based
material for the bipolar plate of the next-generation
fuelcellsystemandreducingtheamountofplatinum
used as a catalyst.
Hyundai
Motor
Group
14
Fuel
Cell
System
15. AsaresultofHyundaiMotorGroup’sresearchanddevelopment,the
price of fuel cell systems has decreased by about 98% compared to
20 years ago.
ThefuelcellsystempriceoftheprototypeFCEVin2003wastheprice
of a luxury house at the time. However, in 2006, the prototype fuel
cell price decreased by 50%, and in 2013, the price of the first-gen-
eration fuel cell system installed in the Tucson ix hydrogen electric
vehicle decreased to 10%.
Hyundai
Motor
Group
15
Fuel
Cell
System
Fuel Cell System Price Trend The NEXO released in 2018 also achieved the current price through
this cost innovation process, and the price of the next-generation
fuel cell system is expected to remain at 2% of the initial prototype
level.
The plans to secure price competitiveness of hydrogen fuel cell
vehicles to the level of battery electric vehicles by 2030. In order
to achieve this, the company plans to develop parts that can be
mass-produced, apply them to fuel cells, and actively lower costs
by improving technologies such as valves and sensors.
2003 2006 2013 2018 Next-generation
Fuel Cell System
Prototype Fuel cell system Prototype Fuel cell system 1st
generation Fuel cell system 2nd
generation Fuel cell system
100%
10%
2%
100% 2%
-98%
17. Hyundai
Motor
Group
17
Hydrogen
Fuel
Cell
System
Hyundai Motor Group’s fuel cell systems are also rap-
idly improving in terms of durability.
The very first fuel cell system was durable for 30,000
km(800hours), but the first-generation fuel cell sys-
tem secured the level of the internal combustion en-
gine with 100,000km(3,000hours) and 160,000km
(5,000hours) for the NEXO. Among the next-gener-
ation fuel cell systems, the high-endurance fuel cell
system for commercial vehicles aims to achieve a
driving range of about 500,000km.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
Durability Improvement Process
1st
generation
Fuel cell system
100,000km
3,000hours
2nd
generation
Fuel cell system
160,000km
5,000hours
Next-generation
Fuel cell system
Commercial vehicle
500,000km
19. Hyundai
Motor
Group
19
Hydrogen
Fuel
Cell
System
Hyundai Motor Group’s next-generation fuel cell sys-
tem, which has reduced volume and price and in-
creased output and durability, continues to improve.
The next-generation fuel cell system can be used in
various fields other than hydrogen mobility.
Typical examples are the “power unit module” and
the “full flat system.”
Power unit module
Full-flat fuel cell system
20. Hyundai
Motor
Group
20
Hydrogen
Fuel
Cell
System
The power unit module for MW-class large-capacity
power generation can build a 500kW to 1MW-class
large-capacity power generation system by expand-
ing the 100kW-class fuel cell system vertically and
horizontally according to the amount of power re-
quired.
In the future, it can be used for power plants that re-
quire a lot of electricity, auxiliary power for buildings
in remote areas where it is difficult to supply electric-
ity, and transportation such as large ships and trains.
Power Unit Module
21. Hyundai
Motor
Group
21
Hydrogen
Fuel
Cell
System
The full-flat system is only about 25cm high, so it can
be widely used in various mobility applications such
as MPVs(Multi-Purpose Vehicles) and SUVs, as well as
PBVs(Purpose Built Vehicle), trams, buses and small
ships.
Thebasicoutputis105kW,butitcanbeeasilychanged
to 200–300kW depending on the use, so it is very ver-
satile.
Full-flat Fuel Cell System
22. Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand the
application of fuel cell systems to UAMs, robots, aircraft
and large ships by 2040.
This is in order to realize a hydrogen society in which
hydrogen fuel cells are applied to all means of transportation,
and where hydrogen energy can be used easily
and conveniently for “Everyone, Everything, Everywhere.”
The next-generation fuel cell system will be the first step
in advancing such a hydrogen society.