Samsung shows smallest fuel cell yet for mobile charger, laptop station
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2007
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 75 KB
- Volume
- 2007
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1464-2859
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✦ Synopsis
Hyundai-Kia fuel cell buses for Korean road trials
The Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai-Kia has developed the country's first hydrogen fuel cell bus. The vehicle, which has been developed at a cost of 3 billion won (US$3.2 million), will undergo a series of road and efficiency tests over the next three years.
The Korean Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Energy and Hyundai-Kia together plan to spend 48bn won ($51m) by 2008 on a program to run four buses and 30 cars, according to a report in The Korea Herald. The project will test the reliability and durability of the fuel cell system, and lead to product development and the establishment of the necessary infrastructure for commercialization.
'Through the monitoring project, the (Korean) government will support early commercialization of domestic hydrogen fuel cell cars and set up necessary infrastructure such as hydrogen fueling stations to induce stable private investment,' says vice commerce minister Lee Won-gul.
When charged with 40 kg of hydrogen, the new bus -equipped with a 160 kW PEM fuel cell stack [presumably supplied by UTC Power, with whom Hyundai has been working for several years] -has a range of 300 km (190 miles) and is twice as fuel-efficient as diesel versions currently under operation, according to Hyundai Motor Co. It still needs to be improved so it can start at temperatures below -20°C. The production cost, presently more than 20 times higher than for ordinary buses, should also be gradually reduced, the ministry said.
The project aims to increase the fuel cell system output to 200 kW, with the share of Korean-made components rising to 70%, and the durability increasing to the 5000 h range by 2008. With a step-by-step revision of related regulations, the bus will be operated as public transportation mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area and on Jeju Island.