Hydrogen fuel cell buses begin trial in Munich

Hyundai Motor Company is set to work with bus operators in Germany to run trials of its hydrogen-powered Elec City Fuel Cell bus.

Busbetrieb Josef Ettenhuber GmbH (Ettenhuber) and Geldhauser Linien- und Reiseverkehr GmbH & Co. KG (Geldhauser) will take turns running the Elec City Fuel Cell bus on existing routes in Munich. The bus can travel over 500 kilometers when fully charged.

Hyundai Motor plans to run demos with four more bus operators this year, collecting passenger and driver feedback along the way. Through the demo runs, the company expects to prove hydrogen-powered buses as a viable, efficient solution for commercial transportation. Elec City Fuel Cell has been commercially available in Korea since 2019 and a total of 108 units have been put into operation.

The hydrogen-powered buses being used in various public bus routes in the country have avoided reduced carbon emissions by an estimated 7,700 tons to date compared to internal combustion buses. On a yearly basis, Elec City Fuel Cell buses that are currently in operation are expected to reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent amount of CO2 sequestered in a year by 1,500 hectares of forest.

“With our leading fuel cell technology, Hyundai Motor is demonstrating how mass-produced Elec City Fuel Cell buses can help reduce CO2 emissions while providing clean mobility,” said Martin Zeilinger, Executive Vice President and Head of CV Development Tech Unit. “Running these in-service trials will help us further develop our vehicles to meet European customer requirements.”

Hyundai’s Elec City bus is equipped with a 180-kW high-capacity hydrogen fuel cell system, which consists of two 90-kW hydrogen fuel cells, equipped with a durable hydrogen diffusion layer and an electrolyte membrane. The maximum output of 180 kW provides plenty of driving force, even in hilly road conditions. There are five hydrogen tanks in the roof, storing a total of 34 kg of hydrogen for over 500 km of range

Hyundai is constantly reviewing ways to lower the CO2 footprint of mobility in general. By offering eco-friendly, heavy-duty trucks and buses, the company is addressing this matter head on. Hyundai plans to proactively promote hydrogen fuel cell technology as a powerful mo