Two historic Asian automakers have just teamed up to develop a new hydrogen engine. The previous generation has been relatively successful (hampered, in part, by the lack of charging infrastructure). With an eye on this problem, the aim now is to improve the range of a model like this one, which has an unprecedented range and a power multiplied precisely to lead the zero-emission segment.
Hydrogen engine from Asia: a breakthrough in sustainable mobility
Hydrogen fuel cell engines are a major area of the contemporary development that seems to have a completely new idea in the field of environmentally friendly transportation. In contrast to petrol- and diesel-burning engines which are powered by internal combustion, hydrogen engines consists of mixing hydrogen and oxygen.
A ship running only on hydrogen emits water vapor as exhaust, therefore, it has no negative emission footprint on the environment. Today, leading automaker brand Hyundai and Kia, in collaboration with hydrogen vehicle specialists, aim to improve upon its next fleet of zero emission cars, signaling a new frontier of clean mobility.
This partnership aims at galloping development of hydrogen engines with an ultimate view of the not-so-far future, having a mass market of zero-emission vehicles. Better and better performances in range and power seen with hydrogen engines, and the likely emergence of the clean, high-performance cars soon.
The technical details of this hydrogen engine: the challenge they have met
Engineering hydrogen engines comes with challenges. Hydrogen gas is highly flammable and burns at a faster rate than gasoline. Engine components must be designed to withstand the intense heat and pressure. Precise fuel injection and ignition timing is critical to optimize performance.
Hyundai and Kia have partnered with KEYOUNG Technology to develop a new prototype hydrogen combustion engine. It uses compressed hydrogen gas stored in tanks to feed the injectors. The engine design allows it to run solely on hydrogen or be flex-fueled with gasoline.
This engine achieves a thermal efficiency over 50% – significantly higher than a typical gasoline engine. It also produces over 200 horsepower, comparable torque, and near-zero emissions. The technology paves the way for hydrogen passenger vehicles with long range and impressive performance.
Kia and Hyundai’s hydrogen engine at a glance: how it changes everything
Hyundai and Kia have starting works on installing the new hydrogen combustion engine into forthcoming models of passenger vehicles. These two automakers are expected to implement the engine’s high competence in mileage and longevity in addition to hybrid and purely hydrogen fuel vehicles.
Based on the recent declaration, the main takeout is that Hyundai and Kia are aiming to insert the technology into medium sized saloon models in the year 2025 as a start. These hybrid vehicles reduce the gasoline usage by pairing a downsized gas engine with the hydrogen combustion engine.
On the way are trucks and passengers vans, all of them fueled by hydrogen by 2027. The new power plant also promises a plug-off-type energy storage capacity for the Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Adopting the next generation energy efficiency FCEV models by the leading brands from 2028 will reduce their dependence on a larger battery.
Thank this innovation, the range of an hydrogen engine in its capacity of range extender must be increased. That being the case, the weight could be reduced and there would be more space for the interior while the range of the vehicle would still remain.
As you can see, this hydrogen engine from Kia and Hyundai is one more step to consolidate the two brands as leaders in sustainable mobility. The truth is that, even seeing how they have improved power and autonomy (two recurring demands in the sector), they still have to learn how to process this fuel at low temperatures. It is a problem that reminds us of what happens to electric vehicles, of which we have spoken on other occasions.
