H2 is definitely a transportation fuel solution. Is it the one that makes the most sense is another question altogether. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – October 28, 2019 Hyundai HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept, H2 FCV Class 8 Heavy Duty Truck Atlanta, GA -- Hyundai revealed two new “Concepts” at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show. The Fuel Cell Class 8 HD Truck introduces the brands HD transport 2030 Vision including wide-spread deployment of H2-powered FCV technology. The non-drivable HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept Class 8 heavy duty truck and Hyundai Translead (HT) trailer combination highlights the future of HD transportation in the U.S. and around the world. In December 2018, Hyundai invested $6.4 billion USD to accelerate the development of an H2 society far beyond passenger vehicles. Hyundai reiterated that commercial fuel cells are the perfect fit for heavy duty trucks given their long driving distances between refueling needs, high payloads, less refueling time, and possibly lower costs. Hyundai HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept One of the design inspirations for the HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept’s exterior was the streamliner railway trains that ran from 1936 until 1959. The Chicago "Mercury" prepares to leave Chicago in 1936. Mercury train sets were designed by the noted industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss for the New York Central in the 1930's. This design symbolized the greatest technological wonder of the era, while looking bold, iconic, and futuristic and are considered a prime example of Art Deco design. The HDC-6 NEPTUNE design team took on painstaking packaging challenges to increase the FCVs cooling requirements. The wide grill integrates retractable steps to the cab. The combination of both cab over drivetrain and a conventional truck format achieves std. load, haul, and unload design that today’s infrastructure demands. The HDC-6 NEPTUNE Class 8 Concept truck advances Hyundai’s vision into the next decade and will add to the company’s success in commercial vehicles, which are already sold in 130 countries around the world. Hyundai HT Nitro ThermoTech Concept Trailer The HT Nitro ThermoTech from Hyundai Translead will be one of the first trailer manufacturers in North America to introduce a refrigerated trailer using “cryogenic nitrogen” refrigeration technology. The concept trailer, developed in collaboration with Air Liquide, will change the way Hyundai Translead provides refrigerated transportation. The HT Nitro ThermoTech concept trailer’s carbon footprint is up to 90% less! than a traditional unit. The HT Nitro ThermoTech concept trailer allows temperatures to be reduced faster than traditional refrigeration units and maintains the desired temperature with precise control. The intelligent control system and independent cooling power maximize thermal efficiency. IN addition, it is essentially noise free. The HT Nitro ThermoTech concept trailer is a standalone system not affected by outside temperatures. The HT Nitro ThermoTech concept trailer also features a new structural design. The side wall, front wall, and roof are each constructed as a one-piece, structural sandwich foam panel with Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) skins. The materials are made without posts and roof bows. The one-piece structural foam panel design creates a lighter weight trailer with increased wall strength and enhanced thermal efficiency, while maintaining the same volume. The improved structure panels are bonded to the rails, which reduce thermal bridges, remove potential water intrusion, and provide a cleaner finish. All in, expect to see these or similar designs on the road within 5 to 7-years either as prototypes or as turnkey offerings. Race to the Future The big question is will Tesla’s all-electric Semi powered by the innovative automakers Solar powered Powerpacks get here first? The Tesla Semi claims to provide large savings in energy costs, performance, efficiency and reliability with the biggest immediate cost-advantage arising from savings in energy costs. Tesla All-Electric Semi Fully loaded, the Tesla Semi consumes less than 2 kWh of energy per mile and is capable of 500 miles of range at GVW and highway speed. 80% of freight in the U.S. is moved less than 250 miles. Coupled with the low electricity prices that commercial and industrial users with local solar generation and storage, electricity can be created and consumed for a fraction of the cost of diesel or H2. Owners can expect to gain $200,000 or more in savings over a million miles based on diesel fuel costs alone. The Tesla All-Electric Semi is not a Concept within a 2030 vision but expected to be on the road in just over a year.
Hyundai Doubles Down with New Investments into Three H2 Companies Impact Coatings, H2Pro and GRZ Technologies – to strengthen its leadership position in the global hydrogen fuel cell ecosystem. Hyundai’s strategic investments come at a time of increased interest in fuel cell technology. The collaboration with industry players will enable Hyundai to expand its H2 infrastructure and enhance the efficiency of its fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) manufacturing. Hyundai HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept Class 8 Heavy Duty Truck Impact Coatings AB is a leading supplier of PVD based coating solutions for fuel cells, offering coating materials, machines, and services. The Swedish company’s ceramic coatings are cost-efficient substitutes for precious metals used in fuel cell production. Under the new joint development agreement, Hyundai and Impact Coatings will jointly research and develop a new generation of materials, processes and equipment for a variety of applications, including fuel cells and hydrogen production. H2Pro is an Israeli startup that developed the E-TAC (electrochemical, thermally active chemical) water splitting technology, which is efficient, affordable, and safe. H2Pro’s technology will allow Hyundai to lower the cost of hydrogen production, which will in turn reduce the price of hydrogen for customers. This marks Hyundai’s second investment into the startup since Hyundai CRADLE Tel Aviv first announced the partnership in November 2018. GRZ Technologies is a company based in Switzerland specializing in energy storage in hydrogen form. Its technology stores hydrogen more safely at lower pressure with higher density, while its proprietary compression technology is also more affordable. Hyundai’s agreement with GRZ will accelerate the company’s efforts to commercialize hydrogen infrastructure for greater accessibility to customers. Hyundai is a world leader in the development of H2FC technology.
Hi All: I as looking back at some of the Hyundai H2 talking points. They, Hyundai, sure is pushing into the H2 FCV space with gusto. Seoul, Korea -- On June 17, 2019, Hyundai Group’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Euisun Chung called for immediate action to ensure a ‘sustainable Earth’ in his address to G20 energy Ministers in Karuizawa, Japan. In his capacity as the Hydrogen Council Co-Chair, EVC Chung addressed global policymakers at the official luncheon of the ‘G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth.’ EVC Chung stressed that words and study results alone are not enough to make progress in the transition to clean energy. The Executive Vice Chairman shared his belief that a ‘hydrogen-powered society’ was “the most viable solution” to a successful energy transition. Emphasizing that by 2050, hydrogen could account for almost one-fifth of total energy consumed, he urged leaders from all sectors, beyond energy and transport, to join the Hydrogen Council in demonstrating the potential of hydrogen for tackling global energy needs. He made it clear that hydrogen can help governments to deliver significant benefits for their citizens, energy security, environment, and economy. Citing the Hydrogen Council report, 'Hydrogen, Scaling up', EVC Chung said that when deployed at scale, hydrogen would reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by roughly six gigatons versus today’s levels and contribute about 20 percent of the abatement required to limit global warming to two-degrees Celsius. On the potential economic contribution that hydrogen could make, he added that hydrogen could create a USD 2.5 trillion market, as well as provide employment for more than 30 million people. EVC Chung’s speech was followed by remarks from other Hydrogen Council members: Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Toyota and Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide also representing the Hydrogen Council as co-chair. Mr. Uchiyamada highlighted how the Hydrogen Council is working on more than 20 large-scale, multi-billion-dollar projects to bring hydrogen to the mass market. Mr. Potier called on G20 governments to work together to embed hydrogen in their energy transition strategies, policies and regulations. At an exclusive investor event held on the same day ahead of the G20 Ministerial meeting, EVC Chung also referenced the value of strong collaboration among key stakeholders. In a welcome address he encouraged business, investors and governments to start discussions on how to create the right environment and make available the right tools to drive this change. During this invitation-only event, Hydrogen Council members presented a selection of concrete, multi-billion projects currently being developed by the industry. Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2017, the Hydrogen Council is a first-of-its-kind global CEO initiative to foster the role of hydrogen technologies in the global energy transition. The coalition of 60 members from across industry sectors and key markets collectively represents total revenues of more than GBP 2.6 trillion and close to 4.2 million jobs around the world. The Hydrogen Council helps to facilitate collaboration between key stakeholders, hosts events geared toward international advocacy, and educates the public about the pragmatism of hydrogen. To date, the Council has published three studies exploring the role of hydrogen in the energy transition that detailed the comprehensive vision of the long-term potential of hydrogen and a roadmap for deployment. Wayne
Seoul, Korea -- On June 26, 2019, Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Aramco. The MOU provides a framework to accelerate expansion of a hydrogen ecosystem in the Korean and Saudi Arabian markets, and to explore the use of advanced non-metallic materials in various fields including the automotive industry. In addition to collaborating on hydrogen supply and the deployment of hydrogen refueling stations in Korea, Hyundai Motor and Saudi Aramco will grow awareness of Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The companies will also team-up to expand the adoption of non-metallic materials across a wide range of applications, including the use of carbon fiber and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Additionally, the companies will cooperate on the development of future automotive technologies. According to the International Energy Agency’s recently released report during the G20 Energy and Environment Ministerial meeting in Japan, hydrogen is currently enjoying unprecedented political and business momentum, with the number of policies and projects around the world expanding rapidly. It concludes that now is the time to scale up technologies and bring down costs to allow hydrogen to become widely used. At an exclusive investor event held on the day ahead of the G20 Ministerial meeting, EVC Chung shared the company’s belief that a ‘hydrogen-powered society’ is the most viable solution to a successful energy transition. In turn, the company has made important steps toward a hydrogen society lead by its commitment to sustainable transportation, as part of its FCEV Vision 2030. The vision aims to create a worldwide hydrogen society that leverages hydrogen technologies beyond the transportation sector.
