Hyundai Motor will begin the construction of a hydrogen fuel cell plant at its Ulsan, South Korea, facility this year, with mass production targeted for 2028.
Set to be its third fuel cell manufacturing plant, the facility will reportedly be capable of producing systems for up to 6,500 hydrogen-powered cars per year.
Hyundai’s fuel cells for passenger vehicles (Nexo), buses, Xcient trucks and its new SUV are currently produced at its Guangzhou facility in China, with an annual capacity of up to 6,500 units, and at its fuel cell factory in Chungju, South Korea, which can manufacture 23,000 units per year.
The Ulsan fuel cell plant has been introduced under Hyundai’s strategy to expand hydrogen consumption to three million tonnes per year by 2035, in line with the global decarbonisation shift.
Last October, Hyundai unveiled a new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) concept, which they expect to enter production this year.
The hydrogen-powered SUV, INITUM, will be equipped with aerodynamic wheels with low rolling resistance tyres. Furthermore, Hyundai has said it’s targeting a range of 650km on one tank of hydrogen.
Despite not revealing any technical details on the powertrain system, Hyundai said that by developing its fuel cell technology, it has increased stack output and enhanced battery capacity to deliver up to 150kW of power.
However, in the same month, Hyundai recalled all 1,600 Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicles deployed across the US and Canada due to concerns over hydrogen leakage.
Owners were told to park the SUVs outdoors and away from structures due to the potential risk of a fire that could be caused by a hydrogen leak.
