Hyundai Motor Group used its participation in "World Hydrogen Expo 2025" as an opportunity to reexamine the hydrogen value chain. It was judged worthwhile that seven Hyundai Motor Group companies painstakingly showcased hydrogen technologies and capabilities.
Hyundai Motor Group participated in the "World Hydrogen Expo 2025 (WORLD HYDROGEN EXPO 2025, hereinafter WHE 2025)" held from the 4th to the 7th at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and clearly demonstrated why the future world should be built around a hydrogen ecosystem.
WHE 2025 is a hydrogen industry expo newly launched this year that integrates the domestic flagship hydrogen industry exhibition H2 MEET, held since 2020, and last year's largest domestic international hydrogen conference held during Hydrogen Day (Nov. 2).
Held under the theme "Hydrogen Pioneers: Innovate, Unite, and Accelerate," WHE 2025 drew about 25,000 visitors over four days who learned about the latest technology trends in hydrogen and participated in various hands-on programs. In particular, it was held through the weekend for the first time and received strong responses from family visitors.
At this exhibition, seven companies — Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Steel, Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Engineering, Hyundai GLOVIS, and Hyundai Rotem — set up a joint booth centered on HTWO, Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen brand and business platform, and showcased technologies and capabilities across the hydrogen value chain, including hydrogen production, hydrogen refueling and storage, hydrogen mobility, and industrial applications, along with various real-world use cases.
Specifically, Hyundai Motor Group introduced various group companies' hydrogen production technologies such as PEM water electrolysis, W2H, and ammonia cracking through mockups and video content to help visitors intuitively understand them. It also demonstrated refueling of the all-new NEXO using an automatic charging robot (Automatic Charging Robot-Hydrogen, ACR-H).
It also displayed an expanded latest hydrogen mobility lineup that goes beyond passenger and commercial vehicles — including the all-new NEXO, Universe hydrogen electric bus, Xcient hydrogen-electric truck, and hydrogen-powered all-terrain vehicle (ATV) — extending to various industries such as agricultural machinery, boats, and defense.
In addition, exhibits demonstrating hydrogen applications were unveiled, including a diorama showing carbon-reduced steel production processes and reduction roadmaps by process, a 100 kW-class hydrogen fuel cell generator, hydrogen fuel cell AGV, and hydrogen fuel cell forklifts.
In particular, Hyundai Motor's all-new NEXO test-drive program, held from the 5th to the 7th, was very popular with visitors. About 180 visitors who applied for test drives through advance reservations drove a roughly 15 km, 30-minute test course and directly experienced the vehicle's eco-friendly performance and advanced technologies.
The all-new NEXO is a vehicle with high-efficiency power performance based on a maximum motor output of 150 kW and a single-charge driving range of up to 720 km, and recently gained attention when well-known YouTubers drove 1,400.9 km on a long-distance driving challenge on a single charge, achieving a record close to double the certified single-charge driving range.
Hyundai Motor Group also operated a hydrogen academy lecture program with Linde and Air Liquide, global energy corporations and members of the Hydrogen Council, so visitors could more easily understand the value of hydrogen business and how hydrogen is used in everyday life.
The lecture program was composed of three master classes on the topics "Why hydrogen?", "Hydrogen upstream technologies and businesses", and "Hydrogen mobility and diverse applications," and introduced core technologies in the hydrogen field and various efforts by global energy corporations to accelerate realization of a hydrogen society. Hyundai Motor Group also discussed business cooperation plans in the hydrogen energy field with global hydrogen-leading corporations and associations from about 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Germany, including South Korea.
A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "Through this World Hydrogen Expo, we wanted to show that hydrogen is already a solution leading the future across our daily lives and industries," and "As visitors have directly confirmed hydrogen's value and potential through various hands-on programs and lectures, we will continue to work to expand hydrogen use and raise awareness."
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group led strategic discussions to expand the global hydrogen ecosystem and strengthened close ties with major global hydrogen company leaders as co-chair during the "Hydrogen Council CEO Summit," held from the 2nd to the 4th. The "Hydrogen Council CEO Summit," held in Korea for the first time this year, was attended by CEOs of 100 global corporations and about 200 hydrogen industry leaders, and Hyundai Motor Group, as a co-chair, led various discussions aimed at activating the hydrogen ecosystem.
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