Ineos and Hyundai team-up to explore the future of hydrogen

Ineos and Hyundai have teamed up to explore the future of hydrogen technology and how it could grow. The non-exclusive agreement means Ineos will be able to tap into Hyundai’s knowledge of hydrogen fuel cell technology. This is technology that could be used in the Ineos Grenadier off-road vehicle.

On top of this, Hyundai will benefit from Ineos’ vast experience around the infrastructure of hydrogen and how to produce it cleanly.

Hyundai’s Nexo SUV has already proved the reliability and efficacy of the company’s hydrogen fuel cell. It’s the world’s first dedicated hydrogen-powered SUV and has the longest driving range among hydrogen-powered vehicles in the market. In fact, Hyundai started the world’s first mass production of fuel cell electric vehicles way back in 2013.

“Ineos’ move into the development of a fuel cell electric vehicle and hydrogen ecosystem marks yet another milestone towards sustainable and clean transportation,” said Saehoon Kim, senior vice president and head of Fuel Cell Center at Hyundai Motor Company. “Hyundai believes this will provide an important low-carbon option across a wide range of sectors.”

In 2018, Hyundai announced its roadmap, Fuel Cell Vision 2030, to increase annual production of hydrogen fuel cell systems to 700,000 units by 2030. The Nexo model will spearhead Hyundai Motor’s plans to accelerate the development of low-emission vehicles. This new development roadmap will see 18 low emission vehicles added to Hyundai’s lineup by 2025. It also represents the next step for Hyundai in creating a cleaner environment through eco-friendly vehicles.

The Nexo’s clean lines are perhaps in direct contract to the robust exterior of the Ineos Grenadier, which will share its fuel cell technology. Mark Tennant, commercial director of Ineos Automotive spoke to Autocar about the Grenadier, he said: “We’re still on track and happy, with a view to production starting at the end of 2021. We’re testing now and have got prototypes running around. We’re looking to put 1.8 million aggregate kilometres on the vehicles during the testing.”

Around 20,000 people have expressed an interest in the Grenadier 4×4, with most coming from Europe, the US, Australia and South Africa.