Hyundai to Test Hydrogen-Powered Trucks in Switzerland
2020-03-05
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1People in Switzerland may see some very large, hydrogen-powered trucks on the road this month.
2The trucks are products of the South Korean company Hyundai.
3They are part of its plan to establish the company's technology in a low carbon world.
4Invented nearly two centuries ago, hydrogen fuel cells lost out to combustion engines - the kinds of engines that most cars use.
5Even now, hydrogen fuel cells are less common than electric batteries.
6This is because hydrogen fuel cells cost more.
7Hydrogen is hard to store.
8And the process by which it is taken from natural gas also produces carbon emissions.
9But when it comes to trucks, Hyundai and its partners argue that electric batteries will not always do the job.
10The bigger the truck, the bigger the electric battery.
11That additional weight is a problem when trucks drive up Swiss mountains.
12With more than half of Switzerland's energy coming from hydropower, the country could take "green" hydrogen from water.
13This process is called electrolysis.
14It may require more energy, but it is carbon-free if powered by renewable electricity.
15Mark Freymueller is the head of Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility.
16He says that developing a hydrogen-powered truck is no easy job.
17"It is not enough to produce a truck. You have to take care of the entire ecosystem, find like-minded partners and show this all makes sense for the customer," he said.
18Switzerland's "green" hydrogen is far more costly than diesel fuel.
19But Hyundai hopes that as governments restrict carbon emissions - and the cost of producing the clean fuel drops - the numbers could start to add up.
20McKinsey & Company, an advisory service, noted in a study that the cost of hydrogen made with renewable energy could be cut in half over the next 10 years.
21That cost would be almost equal to the cost of diesel for heavy vehicles, once other costs are added in.
22Hydrogen has long been thought to be an alternative to oil and other fossil fuels.
23Hyundai's H2 Xcient trucks have a 190 kilowatt fuel cell and seven high-pressure tanks.
24Each tank can carry nearly 35 kilograms of hydrogen.
25The truck can travel distances up to 400 kilometers - much further than current heavy goods vehicles powered by electric batteries.
26For now, Hyundai is depending on government assistance for fuel cell trucks.
27"We are not fooling ourselves, it is initially a subsidized business model," said Mark Freymueller.
28Around the world, the South Korean company is betting heavily on hydrogen.
29It plans to spend $6.7 billion on hydrogen technology by 2030.
30Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility is starting out with 50 H2 Xcient trucks but plans to put 1,600 on Swiss roads by 2025.
31The company is also looking to launch similar projects in at least two more European countries this year.
32I'm John Russell.
1People in Switzerland may see some very large, hydrogen-powered trucks on the road this month. The trucks are products of the South Korean company Hyundai. They are part of its plan to establish the company's technology in a low carbon world. 2Invented nearly two centuries ago, hydrogen fuel cells lost out to combustion engines - the kinds of engines that most cars use. Even now, hydrogen fuel cells are less common than electric batteries. This is because hydrogen fuel cells cost more. 3Hydrogen is hard to store. And the process by which it is taken from natural gas also produces carbon emissions. 4But when it comes to trucks, Hyundai and its partners argue that electric batteries will not always do the job. The bigger the truck, the bigger the electric battery. That additional weight is a problem when trucks drive up Swiss mountains. 5With more than half of Switzerland's energy coming from hydropower, the country could take "green" hydrogen from water. This process is called electrolysis. It may require more energy, but it is carbon-free if powered by renewable electricity. 6Mark Freymueller is the head of Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility. He says that developing a hydrogen-powered truck is no easy job. 7"It is not enough to produce a truck. You have to take care of the entire ecosystem, find like-minded partners and show this all makes sense for the customer," he said. 8Switzerland's "green" hydrogen is far more costly than diesel fuel. But Hyundai hopes that as governments restrict carbon emissions - and the cost of producing the clean fuel drops - the numbers could start to add up. 9McKinsey & Company, an advisory service, noted in a study that the cost of hydrogen made with renewable energy could be cut in half over the next 10 years. 10That cost would be almost equal to the cost of diesel for heavy vehicles, once other costs are added in. 11Hydrogen has long been thought to be an alternative to oil and other fossil fuels. 12Hyundai's H2 Xcient trucks have a 190 kilowatt fuel cell and seven high-pressure tanks. Each tank can carry nearly 35 kilograms of hydrogen. The truck can travel distances up to 400 kilometers - much further than current heavy goods vehicles powered by electric batteries. 13For now, Hyundai is depending on government assistance for fuel cell trucks. "We are not fooling ourselves, it is initially a subsidized business model," said Mark Freymueller. 14Around the world, the South Korean company is betting heavily on hydrogen. It plans to spend $6.7 billion on hydrogen technology by 2030. 15Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility is starting out with 50 H2 Xcient trucks but plans to put 1,600 on Swiss roads by 2025. The company is also looking to launch similar projects in at least two more European countries this year. 16I'm John Russell. 17Vera Eckert and John Revil reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 18We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 19________________________________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21combustion - n. technical a chemical reaction that results when oxygen combines with other substances to produce heat and usually light 22battery - n. a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a car) to supply it with electricity 23emission - n. the act of releasing something, often into the air 24hydropower - n. electricity produced from machines that are run by moving water 25renewable - adj. replaced by natural processes; able to be replaced by nature 26ecosystem - n. the name for a community of organisms and its environment 27customer - n. someone or something that purchases goods or services 28diesel - n. a kind of fuel that is used in vehicles with diesel engines 29alternative - n. something that can be chosen instead of something else; a choice 30subsidize - v. to aid with public money