Hyundai and Skoda: working together for hydrogen fuel cell systems
Skoda and Hyundai want to promote hydrogen as an energy source with a cooperation. What this could actually lead to remains to be seen.
The Hyundai Nexo is one of the few vehicles currently available with a fuel cell. Its price is 77,490 euros.
(Image: Franz)
There are currently only two production cars with fuel cells on the German market. One comes from Toyota, which has just announced an in-depth collaboration with BMW. The other model is the Hyundai Nexo. This company is now also looking for a cooperation for hydrogen as a driving energy. Together with Skoda, they want to pursue the topic further. A declaration of intent was signed at a Korean-Czech business summit in Prague. It is still unclear what this means for the strategic direction of the Volkswagen Group brand, and whether series-produced cars with fuel cells will be launched on the market.
According to a press release, the initial aim is to establish cooperation in the development of an ecosystem for hydrogen mobility. The partnership with Skoda aims to accelerate the introduction of hydrogen, which would "contribute to the further development of hydrogen technology and climate neutrality in global markets, including the Czech Republic," said Ken Ramírez, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Vehicle and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Company, promoting the cooperation. Petr Novotný, Skoda CEO, adds: "We believe that hydrogen, alongside energy-efficient solutions, will play an essential role in transforming mobility for a more sustainable future." The collaboration aims to "look beyond national borders" and "open up broader markets where these technologies can have a greater impact."
Hydrogen ecosystem
Initially, several studies are planned to explore the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell systems and technologies, energy-efficient solutions for mobility projects and products and opportunities for the hydrogen ecosystem and value chain beyond mobility. Both described hydrogen as an important pillar for a sustainable society, including in the area of mobility. The aim is to examine whether Hyundai Skoda can provide fuel cell technology. The aim is to "accelerate environmentally friendly mobility".
At present, hydrogen does not play a relevant role as a driving energy source either in passenger cars or in the transportation sector. So far, BMW and Toyota have announced the further development of series-produced cars. At Stellantis, there are concrete plans to use hydrogen in light commercial vehicles. In the transport sector, some manufacturers presented H2 concepts at the IAA Transportation, but there are many indications that battery-electric drives will prevail here too.
No production model in sight
Questions in the hydrogen supply chain also remain unanswered. Only a small proportion of the hydrogen produced globally is currently produced using renewable energy. In Europe, Germany is currently far ahead of other countries with just under 100 H2 filling stations. In view of the costs that a nationwide hydrogen supply would entail, even just for freight transport, it is unlikely that an H2 strategy will be implemented quickly in the short term. The current press release makes no mention of Skoda brand series models that use a fuel cell to generate electricity.
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(mfz)