Hyundai reaffirms solid-state battery, hydrogen

HYUNDAI’S commitment to solid state battery electric and hydrogen powered vehicles has been reaffirmed at its recent Investor Day where chief executive officer Jose Munoz outlined the South Korean brand’s ambitious mid-to long-term strategy.

Speaking with key investors and stakeholders, Mr Munoz emphasised Hyundai’s commitment to revolutionary product expansion, manufacturing excellence, and technological innovation, with breakthrough electrification technologies (solid state batteries) and the planned expansion of hydrogen fuelled vehicles.

At the same time, in an interview with Automotive News, Hyundai executive chair Euisun Chung gave insights into the group’s future battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, saying it is working hard to replace its dependence on traditional battery technology.

“We (Hyundai) are part of the leading group for sales of EV cars, and we have the GMP platform which is now focusing on the solid-state battery,” he said.

By way of explanation, solid-state batteries are a type of lithium-ion battery that replace the liquid or gel electrolyte with a solid material offering several potential advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries including increased energy density, lower cost, improved safety with a lower risk of thermal runaway and faster charging times.

Because they have the potential to store more energy in the same volume or weight, theoretically solid-state batteries may lead to longer ranges for electric vehicles.

The technology is still in development phase by various companies and is viewed as ‘promising’ particularly for the future of electric vehicles and other applications.

Given the various stages of development the earliest likely mass production of solid-state batteries for use in EVs is a few years away perhaps 2027.

“The future of EVs and hydrogen is very important for our next generation, and maybe the next, next generation,” added Mr Chung.

“Maybe (after) 50 years, everyone will enjoy a hybrid of EV and fuel cell technology … (but at the moment) trams, trains, ships, and trucks are all moving towards hydrogen.

“To protect our future environment, we have to make products, better zero emission products, so we will try to focus more on that side.

“Of course, it takes a lot of cost and high cost, and still, until now, hydrogen is very expensive, but we are trying to lower that a price working with the Hydrogen Council.”

The Hydrogen Council is a global, CEO-led initiative of leading energy, transport, and industrial companies, established in 2017 at the World Economic Forum.

It aims to accelerate investment in and commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies by collaborating with governments, investors, and other stakeholders.

It provides a global vision and actionable plans to promote hydrogen as a key element of the energy transition by accelerating large-scale commercialisation of hydrogen solutions worldwide.

“Even in Korea, we are using the hydrogen, getting it from waste food and from nuclear plant waste, there are many places we can get hydrogen to lower the costs,” continued Mr Chung.

“So, then someday maybe we can use hydrogen fuel cell easily.”

Further underlining its new energy position, Hyundai asserted its hydrogen leadership at the First Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Fuels and the Seventh Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting on 15 September in Osaka, Japan, through lead intervention on the clean energy transition.

The ministerial meetings, co-hosted by the governments of Japan and Brazil and with the participation of over 25 countries and the International Energy Agency (IEA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), were held with the aim of accelerating global collaboration.

Hyundai Motor Group executive vice president Ken Ramirez, who is also Head of Energy and Hydrogen Business Division, delivered lead intervention at the meetings, representing the Hydrogen Council and emphasising the pivotal role of hydrogen and the importance of private-public collaboration for the global energy transition.

He was backed by Hyundai Motor Group vice chair Jaehoon Chang who serves as co-chair of the Hydrogen Council.

“We stand at a pivotal juncture where hydrogen must be a core pillar and a strategic enabler for the global energy transition,” said Mr Ramirez.

“As a founding member and current co-chair of the Hydrogen Council, Hyundai is advancing the deployment of hydrogen ecosystems around the world through innovation, collaboration, and public-private partnerships.

“Committed to hydrogen for nearly three decades, we are leveraging the full capabilities of the Hyundai Motor Group across the entire hydrogen value chain to deliver real-world hydrogen-powered solutions at scale.”

It goes without saying the opinions of Jose Munoz, Euisun Chung, Jeahoon Chang and Ken Ramirez hold significant weight on a global scale given Hyundai’s pre-eminent position in both solid-state battery and hydrogen technologies.