Hyundai and Kia recently unveiled in Korea a zero-emission hydrogen engine that could disrupt the EV market. Both automakers are at the forefront of the development of hydrogen technology, focusing on both fuel cell systems and investigating the possibilities of sophisticated hydrogen engines.
The future of sustainable mobility is being shaped by Hyundai and Kia’s continuous research and dedication to hydrogen as a clean transportation solution. An increasing number of manufacturers are developing hydrogen engines as an alternative to electric cars and vehicles that use polluting combustion engines.
Zero-emission hydrogen engine
This innovative hydrogen engine, which has the potential to completely wipe out the competition, was developed by Hong-gil Bae of Hyundai-Kia’s Carbonless Engine Research Laboratory (HMC) and Young Choi, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM).
According to Young Choi, with the use of this technology, fossil fuels may be partially replaced with an immediate and affordable alternative. Tests to confirm the engine’s longevity will be conducted in association with HMC, and the potential uses of this technology in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and power production units will be investigated.
What’s more remarkable about this new hydrogen engine presented in Korea is that it solves all the problems of durability and large-scale viability that hydrogen engines have presented until now.
The project team successfully ensured that the Hyundai-Kia hydrogen engine, designed to burn hydrogen, could sustain high thermal efficiency throughout its operation by infusing hydrogen into the combustion chamber at a pressure of 30 bar.
Although the device’s performance was enhanced by the use of a turbocharger, it was found that the enhanced performance and lower pollution emissions of this kind of “direct injection” eliminated the problems that most automakers have with hydrogen engines. As the emissions of carbon dioxide and fine particles were reduced by 99% and 90%, the Hyundai-Kia hydrogen engine would be considered to have zero emissions.
Hyundai’s new acquisition in the hydrogen business
The Korean automaker announced that it will sign a business transfer contract with Hyundai Mobis and acquire all their domestic hydrogen fuel cell business. This strategic move wants to bring together the production, research, and development departments of the hydrogen fuel cell industry to bring together the major companies in the hydrogen fuel cell industry.
Hyundai Motor declared that it will extend its fuel cell trademark, “HTWO,” to the hydrogen value chain business brand of the Hyundai Motor Group until CES 2024. In addition to developing and manufacturing hydrogen-powered automobiles, HTWO will offer solutions for every step of the hydrogen generation, storage, transit, and use process by forming an ecosystem.
The HTWO Grid will be established with this business acquisition by combining the production technology of Hyundai Mobis with the original technology of Hyundai Motor. In the long term, Hyundai anticipates this effort will have a direct and indirect effect on the growth of the supply of hydrogen-electric cars as it hopes to enhance the efficiency, robustness, and manufacturing quality of hydrogen fuel cells.
The future is in green hydrogen
Hyundai Motor has made it a mission to advance and invest in technology at every stage of the production process. First and foremost, it is looking for ways to employ standard hydrogen fuel cell components and production infrastructure to make “green hydrogen,” or environmentally friendly hydrogen, at a more competitive price.
Additionally, it is creating two kinds of technologies for producing hydrogen: “waste plastic hydrogen conversion (P2H)” and “organic waste hydrogen conversion (W2H),” which enable the creation of hydrogen from domestic garbage.
As Jang Jae-hoon, president of Hyundai Motor, stated, through the unification of the fuel cell system R&D and manufacturing value chain, we will advance the hydrogen society and reinvent hydrogen mobility. Fuel cell systems are the central component of the future hydrogen ecosystem.