Hyundai Motor has abruptly halted work on hydrogen fuel cell power plants, according to the Korean edition of The Chosun Ilbo, citing its sources in the company.
The resource clarifies that work on hydrogen cars was temporarily suspended, but the situation for them does not look optimistic. Hydrogen cars still have an excessively high cost, and in addition, they do not bring profit to the manufacturer and are difficult to operate due to the lack of infrastructure for refueling them.
According to The Chosun Ilbo, the development of hydrogen plants by Hyundai Motor stopped in November - the number of the team for their creation in the scientific and technical center was seriously reduced.
The information circulated by a Korean newspaper looks especially surprising against the backdrop of the Hyundai Hydrogen Vision 2040 plan, presented a few months ago, which aims to create a whole range of hydrogen fuel cell engines and vehicles equipped with them. In September, Hyundai showed a Vision FK prototype, created jointly with the Croatian company Rimac, it is made on the chassis of the production Kia Stinger model, but instead of the internal combustion engine, the experimental car has two electric motors with a capacity of 500 kW (680 hp). Hydrogen cylinders are located on the rear axle of the liftback instead of the fuel tank. The machine is equipped with a fuel cell engine. In them, hydrogen is converted into electricity by an electrochemical reaction, which feeds traction motors.
Recall that in the range of Hyundai Motor since 2018 there is a serial hydrogen car - this is the Nexo crossover.
Hyundai Motor closed work on hydrogen cars
