Hyundai Motor Group received the H2 MEET Global Media Pick award at World Hydrogen Expo 2025 (WHE 2025), held at KINTEX from December 4 to December 7, an honor presented by a multinational press corps to companies showcasing innovative technologies and products.
H2 MEET Global Media Pick is an award program that selects outstanding companies on a media-by-media and country-by-country basis to introduce the achievements of companies with innovative technologies and products from Korea and abroad to a global audience.
This year’s program involved five media outlets from five countries—H2 Energy News (UK), RenewablesNow (Bulgaria), H2 Mobile (France), SolarQuarter (India), and AVING News (Korea)—with each outlet selecting two companies and announcing them as BEST OF THE TOP 2.
The ten domestic and international companies that received the H2 MEET Global Media Pick are expected to gain momentum in global market expansion and new business creation through follow-up coverage by each participating media outlet.
Among them, Hyundai Motor Group was selected by the Bulgarian renewable energy industry media RenewablesNow, once again demonstrating the Group’s technological strength and solid position as a leader in the global hydrogen industry.
At WHE 2025, Hyundai Motor Group formed a joint booth with seven affiliates—Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering, Hyundai Glovis, and Hyundai Rotem—presenting the Group’s hydrogen brand and business platform HTWO, along with its current technologies and future business roadmap. Through this exhibition, the Group introduced technologies and capabilities spanning the entire hydrogen value chain, including hydrogen production, charging and storage, and industrial applications. It supported these with numerous real-world implementation cases.
Hyundai Motor Group’s extensive hydrogen production technologies drew strong attention from industry stakeholders at the exhibition, with polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis highlighted as a representative technology. PEM water electrolysis produces high-purity, clean hydrogen by electrolyzing water, the reverse reaction of hydrogen fuel cells.
At the Group’s booth, a mock-up of a PEM electrolyzer helped visitors intuitively understand the principles and value of PEM technology. At the same time, transparent LED displays showed video content illustrating the production process.
Hyundai Motor Group also introduced clean hydrogen production projects underway in multiple regions, including the construction of 1MW-class electrolysis-based hydrogen production hubs in Buan, North Jeolla Province, and Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, as well as plans to develop a 5MW-class PEM electrolysis facility on Jeju Island by 2029. In addition, the Group presented a proposal for a large-scale 1GW-class electrolysis plant along the southwest coast and outlined its long-term vision, which includes the development of a hydrogen AI smart city.
Hyundai Motor Group showcased a wide range of innovations in hydrogen charging and storage. The second-generation 700bar mobile hydrogen charging station, which mounts core equipment on a trailer, targets early demand development in urban and special-purpose areas with limited charging infrastructure. On Jeju Island, the Group currently operates Korea’s first green hydrogen-based mobile charging service through the H2 Jeju Moving Station.
The hydrogen electric vehicle automatic charging robot ACR-H demonstrated a solution for 24-hour unmanned operation by using vision AI to recognize vehicle positions and autonomously connect charging connectors. The Group also unveiled urban and modular package-type charging stations, liquid hydrogen storage systems capable of large-capacity cryogenic storage, and modular storage systems using swappable tanks.
The exhibition further featured the Group’s latest hydrogen mobility lineup, which extends beyond passenger and commercial vehicles to include agricultural machinery, marine vessels, and defense applications. Displays included The All-New NEXO, a second-generation, fully redesigned hydrogen-electric SUV unveiled in June, and an upgraded model of the Universe hydrogen-electric bus, which offers a driving range of up to 960.4 km on a single charge.
The All-New NEXO surpassed cumulative sales of 7,000 units within three months of launch, demonstrating strong product competitiveness, while the Universe hydrogen electric bus exceeded cumulative deployment of 1,000 units over six years as of late October.
The XCIENT hydrogen electric truck also appeared at the exhibition. As the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty truck, it has achieved a cumulative driving distance of 19 million km across global markets, including Korea, the United States, Switzerland, and Germany, earning recognition for its eco-friendliness and technological excellence. At WHE 2025, Hyundai Motor Group revealed a new design featuring a V-shaped radiator grille. It displayed a separate cab to allow visitors to examine the hydrogen tanks and fuel cell system directly.
Kia also showcased its hydrogen light tactical vehicle (ATV), which uses a hydrogen fuel cell as its power source. This model generates less heat and noise than conventional internal combustion vehicles and features a lightweight design suitable for air transport. Hyundai Motor Group continues to pursue the development of military hydrogen mobility by combining its defense technologies with fuel-cell expertise and hydrogen value-chain capabilities.
In addition, the Group displayed hydrogen fuel cell-powered boats and agricultural hydrogen-electric tractors, demonstrating the applicability of fuel cell systems to high-output, high-load operations, as well as long-distance navigation and extended working hours.
Hyundai Motor Group also introduced its hydrogen-based decarbonization strategy. The exhibition featured a diorama illustrating the hydrogen-based reduction process at an electric arc furnace steel plant in the United States, scheduled to begin operation in 2029, as well as hydrogen burner technology currently used in high-temperature manufacturing processes, such as those at Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant.
Meanwhile, the World Hydrogen Expo 2025 brings together hydrogen companies from around the world to showcase the latest technologies and trends and create opportunities for global collaboration. Starting this year, the Hydrogen International Conference and the hydrogen industry exhibition H2 MEET have been integrated into a single event combining exhibitions and conferences. Covering the entire hydrogen value chain from production to storage, transportation, and utilization, the expo has established itself as a global hub for sharing innovative technologies and market strategies.
