Heavy Equipment

Hyundai CE Mulls World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Machinery

The prototypes are expected to hit the commercial market by 2023.

Updated on

March 7, 2020

Hyundai Construction Equipment has signed a deal with Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s biggest carmaker by sales, and its key affiliate Hyundai Mobis Co., to develop what they expect to be the world’s first hydrogen-powered construction equipment.

The three Hyundai entities plan to develop hydrogen-powered forklifts and medium and large hydrogen-powered excavators, with a 2023 mass production and distribution target.

Hyundai Motors and Hyundai Mobis, the country’s biggest auto parts maker, will design and manufacture hydrogen fuel cell systems, including power packs, while Hyundai CE will design, manufacture and evaluate the performance of excavators and forklifts.

Hydrogen-based electric construction equipment utilises electricity generated through the chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen as its power source.

“Given the rapidly rising demand for eco-friendly equipment around the world in recent years, hydrogen-based construction equipment is expected to help Hyundai CE compete in the global construction market moving forward,” the company said in a press release.

Hyundai CE believes that hydrogen fuel cells are much easier to expand compared to lithium batteries, which have been marred by structural issues limiting various attempts to increase battery capacity.

This makes them a more logical choice for large forklifts or excavators.

“With this latest agreement, we’ve prepared a foundation upon which we can secure core technology in hydrogen-powered construction equipment ahead of our competitors,” says Hwang Jong-hyun, head of the R&D division for Hyundai Material Handling at Hyundai CE.

The company has pledged to tackle the challenges ahead as nations establish global standards for certifying equipment performance and enacting laws for hydrogen-powered construction equipment.