Hyundai Motor Company and Seoul Metropolitan Government will strengthen strategic cooperation to promote the hydrogen economy through the creation of a hydrogen industry ecosystem and to become a leading eco-friendly city in Seoul.

Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd.-Joint cooperation to revitalize the hydrogen economy through the creation of the hydrogen industry ecosystem in Seoul

Promoting the expansion of hydrogen-electric vehicles and hydrogen stations based on consensus on the future potential of hydrogen

Seoul’s hydrogen-electric vehicles and hydrogen refueling targets will be significantly increased compared to the existing ones

On the 31st March, Hyundai Motor announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Seoul Metropolitan Government in order to strengthen mutual cooperation to promote the supply of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. In attendance at the signing ceremony were the key officials such as Hyundai Motor Corporation President Park Young-sun and Mayor Park Won-soon of Seoul.

Through this cooperation, Hyundai Motor Company plans to accelerate the diversification of the hydrogen fuel cell system business and vitalization of the hydrogen economy.

Seoul also plans to expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that do not emit pollutants other than water and have excellent air purification effects, thereby improving atmospheric conditions, such as reducing fine dust, as well as becoming a globally leading eco-friendly city.

The strengthening of this cooperation will not only extend to the production and distribution of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles but also;

▲ to expand the refueling infrastructure such as hydrogen refueling stations,

▲ ways to revitalize hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,

▲ to expand citizen bases for hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, etc., across the entire hydrogen industry ecosystem.

First of all, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to significantly increase the existing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hydrogen refueling targets by signing a memorandum of understanding on this day.

The present goal is to supply more than 4000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and build more than 15 hydrogen stations by 2022, as announced at the ‘2019 Climate Change Response World Cities Market Forum’ held in COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul last October.

Hyundai Motor Company and Seoul City agreed that the infrastructure construction such as hydrogen refueling stations should be prioritized in order for the popularization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to begin in earnest, and decided to expand the refueling infrastructure such as expanding the hydrogen refueling station and securing the site.

Currently, there are three hydrogen refueling stations in Seoul, including the National Assembly Hydrogen Refueling Station and Yangjae (in Seocho-gu, Seoul) and Sangam (in Mapo-gu, Seoul), but the expansion is urgent given the speed and market demand for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Particularly, in the case of hydrogen refueling stations in downtown areas, it has been difficult to secure a site, and this mutual cooperation is expected to accelerate the expansion of hydrogen refueling stations in Seoul.

The expansion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is spread throughout the transportation sector.

Hyundai will begin to expand the hydrogen fuel cell system ecosystem by expanding from the supply of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles centered on passenger cars to commercial vehicles and construction machinery.

Hyundai Motor Company and Seoul Metropolitan Government will promote production and supply expansion of passenger hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles such as vans, buses, and freight cars, and construction machinery equipped with hydrogen fuel cell systems such as forklifts and excavators.

In the case of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell buses, which are currently in widespread use, efforts are being made to promote the purchase of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by lowering purchase and holding costs and strengthening after-sales services.

To this end, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is working to improve the system by expanding purchase subsidies and tax support for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell buses.

In addition, hydrogen-electric buses, whose pilot service business was finished at the end of last year, will push forward regular routes this year.

In the case of freight cars, the vehicles used in the public sector, such as cleaning vehicles, were first replaced by hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and then spread to private sectors.

Hyundai Motor Company also decided to strengthen services such as maintenance and repair systems to help Seoul expand the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell buses and ensure stable operation and management.

In order to expand the base of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, we will also promote awareness and familiarity with hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Through the hydrogen experience hall and hydrogen-related campaigns, Hyundai Motor Company plans to expand the exhibition and test opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to improve understanding of the principles of hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and to create a hydrogen demonstration village that can actually experience hydrogen in life.

Hyundai Motor Company and the Seoul Metropolitan Government plan to form and operate a joint committee to specifically carry out the mutual cooperation.

An official from Hyundai Motor said, “This strategic cooperation with the city of Seoul has been based on the consensus that hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can be solutions for climate change and future energy conversion. As much as possible, we will do our best to actively promote cooperation projects to realize the hydrogen society. ”