The technical battle between hydrogen fuel cells and solid-state lithium batteries has always been the focus of attention, and Hyundai Motor in South Korea, as one of the few manufacturers that has actually put FCVs (hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) into production, has attracted much attention.
Recently, foreign media reported that Hyundai Motor Company determined after internal audit that the current fuel cell research and development progress is far worse than the initial goal, so it suspended the hydrogen energy vehicle project Genesis, which was originally scheduled to be listed in 2025.
According to the report, Hyundai Motor has concluded that the performance of the "third-generation (hydrogen) fuel cell" under development is not ideal. After the completion of the internal audit, Hyundai Motor Group has significantly reduced the position of the fuel cell division in organizational adjustments and personnel appointments.
However, a company spokesperson said the rumors were false and said the roadmap for next-generation fuel cell development and Genesis fleet electrification was still in full swing.
It is understood that earlier Hyundai Motor and the South Korean government had great expectations for hydrogen vehicles. Hyundai also announced a target of 130,000 hydrogen vehicles per year by 2025, while the South Korean government has given a vision of achieving 80,000 hydrogen vehicle sales in 2022. Until November, the country's cumulative sales of hydrogen energy vehicles only exceeded 20,000.
Although the development of hydrogen energy batteries has not progressed well, Hyundai Group will still be an important member of the practical process of hydrogen energy technology.
Hyundai Engineering, a subsidiary of Hyundai Group, just announced last week that it will invest 400 billion won to build a hydrogen fuel plant in northern Chungcheongnam-do, start construction in the first half of next year, and plan to start commercial use in 2024. The planned production capacity is to process 100,000 tons of plastic waste per year to produce 22,000 tons of hydrogen energy, enough for 150,000 hydrogen energy vehicles to run 14,000 kilometers per vehicle.
It is worth noting that in addition to the obstruction of Hyundai Motor's hydrogen energy project, Daimler, Nissan, Honda and other car companies have successively announced the suspension of hydrogen fuel cell passenger car research and development or production.
Car companies have shelved hydrogen fuel cell projects, does it mean that lithium batteries are better? What do you think?
