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| Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun, left, shakes hands with U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes during their meeting at Menezes' office in Washington D.C., Tuesday (Korea Standard Time). |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Hyundai Motor has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. government under which the South Korean automaker will expand its hydrogen fuel cell business in the country, the carmaker said Tuesday.
The move is interpreted as way to lay the groundwork for the faster penetration of hydrogen energy infrastructure in the U.S., helping the car manufacturer advance its hydrogen economy initiative.
According to Hyundai Motor, it partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program. The agreement calls for both parties to strengthen technical collaboration to better understand challenges and to collect and publish independently validated data by demonstrating fuel cell technologies.
For this, Hyundai will provide five Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the U.S. government agency and offer funds for the operation of a hydrogen charging station in Washington D.C. There is one hydrogen fueling station in Washington D.C., but it recently ceased operations.
Data from the vehicles and infrastructure will be collected, analyzed and published to identify additional research needs in durability, performance and reliability.
According to Hyundai, the MOU bears significance as it was signed with the federal government and will serve a pivotal role for fuel cell vehicles to spread across the U.S., expanding beyond its current California-centric market.
Before signing the agreement, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun and Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes discussed ways to deploy hydrogen technologies across the U.S.
"Hyundai Motor is proud to partner with and support the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program as part of our commitment in supporting the transition to clean energy," Chung said in a statement.
"With the potential for application across multiple industries, we firmly believe that hydrogen fuel cells are necessary for a sustainable future. We are delighted that our technologies can help the U.S. Department of Energy as it continues to explore the future potential of hydrogen."
Hyundai Motor Group has been working with the U.S. government since 2004, when Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors offered 33 fuel cell vehicles for the DOE's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project. In 2012, the group also ran pilot projects running Tucson IX fuel cell vehicles with the DOE.
"With the strengthened cooperation with the DOE, we expect a significant boost in the public and industrial acceptability of hydrogen fuel cell technologies," a Hyundai Motor official said. "Also, the MOU will make contributions in spurring investments, creating jobs and spreading eco-friendly transportation services."
According to market tracker MarkLines, the number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Korea and the U.S. each stood at 5,126 and 7,937 at the end of last year, making the two countries the world's top 2 hydrogen car markets.
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