Hyundai Motor Executive Vice President Lee In-chul shakes hands with Chairman Rolf Huber of H2E after they signed an MOU to supoly hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks at in the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 exhibition’s convention center on Sept. 19.

Chairman Rolf Huber of H2E speaks at a news conference following the signing of an MOU the Swiss company signed with Hyundai Motor. (Photos: Hyundai Motor)

Hyundai Motor will export 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to France by 2025. Hyundai Motor is to sign an MOU on the spread of FCEVs and charging stations in the European country with Air Liquide and Engie on Oct. 16.

Under the deal, Hyundai Motor will supply 5,000 FCEV passenger cars, buses and trucks. Hyundai Motor supplied hydrogen fuel cell electric shuttle buses during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Korea’s largest carmaker plans to unveil a hydrogen fuel electric truck next year.

Last Year, Paris, the venue to host the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, came up with a plan to ban all diesel cars from its streets by 2024 and gasoline cars form 2030. Hydrogen FCEVs are eco-friendly transportation means that not only emit no exhaust fumes, but also have a function of purifying the air while in operation.

President Moon Jae-in, on a state visit to France, attended an event to test-drive Hyundai's NEXO hydrogen fuel cell electric car and charge it at a station in downtown Paris on Oct. 14.
In a related development, Hyundai Motor struck an MOU to supply 1,000 large-sized hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks to H2Energy, a Swiss hydrogen energy company, during a five-year period between 2019 and 2023.

Hyundai Motor will be the first hydrogen fuel cell electric truck supplier to Switzerland. It will be Hyundai Motor’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric truck to be exported abroad.

Countries across the world are accelerating efforts to popularize hydrogen fuel cell electric commercial vehicles. Hydrogen FCEVs are capable of getting better mileage per charging than battery-powered EVs.

Places in Europe, the United States and Japan are taking support measures to spread hydrogen fuel cell electric commercial vehicles.

A rendering of Hyundai Fuel Cell Electric Truck.