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In the race for alternative fuel sources, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) seem to be the winning force, even in the face of many automakers going all-electric with battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Surprisingly, a new contender is starting to make a lot of headway – hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Over the last several years, there has been a huge debate about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and whether they’re practical or even viable, but in some cases, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are winning against BEVs. Some automakers are claiming that hydrogen fuel cells are the new alternative fuel, and the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and Kia are out there to prove it with many agreements between HMG and Next Hydrogen and their Hydrogen Vision 2040. To make them more popular, Stellantis is also expanding to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with Stellantis Pro One, and HMG recently donated a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to the Korean National Fire Agency.
Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save people and put out fires. HMG wanted to give a little back and donated to the Fire Department on Korea’s Jeju Island with input from Korean firefighters, especially those on Jeju Island. With that HMG designed a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Support Bus with a U-shaped meeting space with sofas for socializing, premium reclining seats for relaxation, a compact cooking area for making small meals on the road, an external air tent for oxygen, a high-pressure air gun and high-pressure water gun to remove contaminants from rescue equipment and clean down firefighter apparatus, and a storage area for fire-resistant clothing to prevent potential secondary contamination.
This wouldn’t be the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle by HMG. The automotive group has been working on these for nearly a decade, already releasing a model in their lineup. Back in 2017, the Kia Corp was also supposed to get a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in their lineup, but if that happened, it was probably overseas. We definitely haven’t seen it in the Kia North America lineup…yet.
Other automakers have also gotten into the act of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, such as Chevrolet and the Army in 2018. General Motors (GM, umbrella group of Chevrolet) developed the Colorado ZH2 and donated it to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). Designed for espionage with silent movement, diesel generators to power equipment on-the-go, and fast refueling, it was a great vehicle for missions. Because it’s hydrogen-powered, water vapor emissions were also converted into ionized potable water a.k.a. drinking water for the soldiers.
Stellantis entered into a joint venture with Forvia and Michelin to form Symbio and the SymphonHy Hydrogen Fuel Cell Gigafactory. Covering a total existing surface area of 26,000 m2, the SymphonHy site will employ more than 450 engineers to work out new solutions for hydrogen fuel cell mobility. Stellantis is so involved with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, that the Ram Truck lineup is already planning on to release some in their lineup, including the first North American hydrogen fuel cell Ram Truck, a 5500 heavy-duty (HD) pickup truck.
Ready for the next alternative fuel source craze? Follow us on NowCar social media to learn more about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.