Hyundai, Skoda partner to develop hydrogen vehicle technology

Hyundai Motor partnered with the Czech Republic’s Skoda Electric to develop technologies for future hydrogen-powered vehicles.

From left, Park Chul-youn, head of global hydrogen business at Hyundai Motor, Ken Ramirez, head of the global commercial vehicle and hydrogen business at Hyundai Motor, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Jozef Sikela, Skoda Group CEO Petr Novotny, Skoda Electric CEO Jaromir Silhanek take a photo after signing an agreement promising cooperation in hydrogen technologies in Prague, Czech Republic, on Friday. [KOREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY]

Hyundai Motor partnered with the Czech Republic’s Skoda Electric to develop technologies for future hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The duo signed a memorandum of understanding Friday in Prague, Czech Republic, while executives of Hyundai accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol's four-day official visit to the European country.

Under the agreement, Hyundai and Skoda will cooperate in developing and supplying hydrogen systems to boost environmentally friendly vehicles.

Skoda Electric, a subsidiary of Skoda Transportation founded in 1895, produces eclectic and hydrogen-powered buses. It also manufactures electric drives and traction motors for buses and trams.

Hyundai Motor is the world's largest hydrogen vehicle maker, with 32.7 percent of the market share in the first half of the year, backed by its Nexo hydrogen-powered SUV. The carmaker in 2020 successfully became the first company in the world to mass-produce a hydrogen-powered truck with the Xcient in 2020.

“Our partnership with Skoda Group aims to accelerate hydrogen adoption, which would contribute to the advancement of hydrogen technology and carbon neutrality across global markets, including the Czech Republic,” said Ken Ramirez, head of the global commercial vehicle and hydrogen business at Hyundai Motor, after the signing ceremony Friday.

The Czech Republic announced a set of goals for clean mobility in 2020, including selling up to 50,000 hydrogen vehicles by 2030. It has six hydrogen fueling stations nationwide and aims to have 12 by 2025 and 40 by 2030.

During CES 2024 in Las Vegas in early January, Hyundai Motor unveiled its HTWO grid, a dedicated hydrogen business brand that secures the whole hydrogen value chain — production, storage, transportation and utilization.

Hyundai aims to offtake some 3 million tons of hydrogen annually by 2035.

Last year, Hyundai delivered 30 Xcient trucks to California as part of the state's NorCAL ZERO Project, which aims to bring zero-emissions freight transportation to the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]