Hyundai, Skoda Group confirm hydrogen collab
BY MIKE STEVENS | 24th Sep 2024
HYUNDAI Motor Company and Škoda Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Korea-Czech Business Summit in Prague, formalising an agreement to collaborate on hydrogen and sustainable mobility initiatives.
Not to be confused with the Volkswagen-owned car brand familiar to Australian buyers, Škoda Group is a separate entity owned by the Czech conglomerate PPF Group. Its focus is primarily on public transport, including trams, buses, and trains.
According to the agreement, the Korean car-maker and the Czech group will work together on advancing hydrogen as a key element in the global energy transition in transport.
The partnership will look at the potential for Hyundai to supply its fuel cell systems to Škoda Group, with both companies conducting feasibility studies on how hydrogen can be integrated into the Škoda Group's mobility products.
The pair will also explore hydrogen’s potential beyond transport, with studies to assess the feasibility of fuel cell systems in a variety of applications.
Hyundai said its commitment to hydrogen is centred on its HTWO (hydrogen for humanity) initiative, developed to establish a complete “hydrogen value chain”, from production to end-use applications.
Škoda Group emphasised that hydrogen, along with energy-efficient technologies, will be essential in transforming its mobility operations to reduce emissions.
The company expects its collaboration with Hyundai to help explore opportunities beyond the Czech market, bringing hydrogen technologies to wider regions in need of clean energy solutions.
“By working together, we can bring innovative, eco-friendly solutions to the global mobility ecosystem, advancing cleaner energy in the areas where it's needed most,” said Škoda Group CEO Petr Novotný.
For Hyundai, this announcement is just the latest in the hydrogen space, having recently confirmed a similar signing with General Motors to explore technology and cost sharing opportunities in the passenger car market.
Locally, Hyundai has partnered with Toyota and Ampol to further the case for hydrogen fuel in Australia, but the arrangement does not include technology sharing.
