South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), announced it has successfully completed testing its Universe fuel cell-powered electric bus, under Saudi Arabia’s harsh weather conditions, in collaboration of Enowa, the energy and water infrastructure subsidiary of Saudi Arabia‘s Neom – a regional development project funded by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
HMG confirmed that it had successfully completed a “pioneering” high-altitude trial of its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) in Trojena, a mountainous area in Saudi Arabia’s Neom region. During the trials, the vehicle reached altitudes of over 2,000 metres and successfully overcame gradients of up to 24%.
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The aim of the trials was to simulate public transport vehicles on routes in Neom’s future core business district of Trojena, and to demonstrate the performance and practicality of hydrogen-powered vehicles in high-altitude conditions.
HMG said that this latest achievement “builds on a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Neom’s Mobility sector in September 2024, to explore bringing next-generation zero-emission mobility solutions to Neom.” The automaker confirmed that Enowa recently installed the region’s first hydrogen refueling station, capable of supporting a range of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
