Hyundai and partners plan H₂ bus ecosystem in Seoul

Hyundai is collaborating with transportation companies and other stakeholders in the Seoul metropolitan area to advance the introduction of hydrogen-electric city buses. Among other measures, natural gas stations are to be converted to hydrogen.

Hyundai fcev busse seoul — Image: Hyundai

An agreement between Hyundai and public transport operators Dowon Transportation and Samhwan Transportation, along with infrastructure company Sewoon Industry, aims to establish the conditions for broader adoption of hydrogen-powered city buses. The partners’ roles are distributed as follows:

Hyundai Motor will soon supply hydrogen fuel cell electric buses of the Elec City model to public transport operators and provide specialised maintenance training to ensure smooth operations for the transport companies.
Dowon and Samhwan are expected to integrate up to 400 Elec City buses into their fleets within five years and deploy them on city bus routes in the greater Seoul area. These hydrogen buses will replace ageing compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
Sewoon Industry will actively participate in converting existing CNG refuelling stations in urban areas into hydrogen refuelling stations and plans to build ten new hydrogen refuelling stations in Seoul and the nearby city of Incheon by 2029.
Hyundai’s subsidiary, Hyundai Motor Securities, will provide consultancy and investment support throughout the implementation of the agreement.

The hydrogen-powered Elec City bus features a 180 kW fuel cell and an equally powerful electric drivetrain. With a full tank, the bus can travel up to 750 kilometres, making it suitable for high-energy-demand urban bus routes, according to Hyundai. The fuel cell system is supported by a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery.

In a press release, Hyundai Motor stated that this agreement “will not only expand hydrogen mobility and infrastructure, but also contribute to achieving the ‘2030 National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target (NDC)’.” This policy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector by up to 37.8 per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.

“This agreement, which brings together transport operators, charging business operators, and financial institutions, is meaningful as it provides a practical solution for accelerating the supply of hydrogen electric buses,” said a Hyundai Motor spokesperson. “We will continue to make efforts to strengthen the hydrogen ecosystem going forward.”

asiae.co.kr, mk.co.kr, hyundaimotorgroup.com (in Korean)