Ineos partners with Hyundai to develop hydrogen

LESS than a week after the United Kingdom government announced the acceleration of its ban on the sale of internal combustion engines, British start-up Ineos Automotive has detailed a new alliance with Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) to explore and develop the production and supply of hydrogen.

With a memorandum of understanding already signed, Ineos and HMC will combine their respective expertise in chemistry and hydrogen fuel cells “to facilitate public and private sector projects focused on the development of a hydrogen value chain in Europe” which in turn will help counter the 2030 deadline on internal combustion engine sales.

In an added bonus for Ineos, the partnership could also provide a future-proof powerplant for its upcoming Grenadier in the form of HMC’s proprietary fuel cell system as seen in the Nexo SUV.

According to Ineos technology director Peter Williams, “the agreement between Ineos and Hyundai presents both companies with new opportunities to extend a leading role in the clean hydrogen economy”.

“Evaluating new production processes, technology and applications, combined with our existing capabilities puts us in a unique position to meet emerging demand for affordable, low-carbon energy sources and the needs of demanding 4x4 owners in the future,” he said.

HMC fuel cell centre head Saehoon Kim meanwhile said the partnership marked an important milestone in the march towards sustainable and emissions-free transportation.

“Hyundai believes this will provide an important low-carbon option across a wide range of sectors,” he said.

“We also hope our decades-long expertise in hydrogen fuel cell work in synergy with Ineos’ expertise in field of chemistry to realise the mass production of green hydrogen and fuel cells for the Grenadier.”

For the time being, Ineos is set to utilise BMW-sourced six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for the Grenadier with power sent to the ground via ZF automatic transmissions.

Under the bonnet of the Nexo, HMC’s fuel cell system produces 120kW of power and boasts a claimed range of 666km with the only emission out of the would-be exhaust system being water vapour.

Thanks to its modular nature, the powerplant has the potential to be tuned up to produce more power and boast an even greater driving range under the bonnet of the Grenadier.

The Grenadier is set for a local debut in 2022, however no timeline has yet been given to when we can expect the green FCEV powertrain to underpin the Land Rover Defender-inspired off-roader.

The Nexo meanwhile has already arrived Down Under with 20 examples being drafted into the Australian Capital Territory state government fleet, making it the first FCEV to be approved by Australian Design Rules (ADR).