Hyundai Motor has proven its advanced technology to lead the global eco-friendly car market by exporting hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

Hyundai Motor announced on Sept. 27 that it has exported a total of four vehicles, including two hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles "Nexo" and two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses "Elec-city FCEV," to Saudi Arabia.

The shipment of the Nexo and Elec-city FCEV will be delivered to Saudi Aramco, an energy and chemical company in Saudi Arabia.

Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Aramco in June last year and decided to make efforts to expand the supply of hydrogen-powered vehicles in Saudi Arabia.

Nexo and Elec-city FCEV, which are supplied this time, will be used for demonstration projects such as pilot operation in the future.

"This shipment is significant in that it was the first to export eco-friendly cars with hydrogen as an energy source rather than oil to the Middle East," a company official said. "In the case of hydrogen electric buses, it is the first overseas export through the supply to Saudi Arabia."

The exported hydrogen-powered bus "Elec-city FCEV" is 10,995mm in length, 2,490mm in width and 3,420mm in height, equipped with a fuel cell system with excellent performance and durability, and can travel about 430km on a single charge.

'Nexo' and 'Elec-city FCEV' are being shipped to be exported to Saudi Arabia at the port of Ulsan on Sept. 27th/ Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

Through this export, Hyundai Motor plans to prove its differentiated technology in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and actively target the eco-friendly car market in the Middle East.

"It is meaningful to export hydrogen-powered cars to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer," said Chung Bang-sun, head of Hyundai Motor's Asia-Middle East regional division. "We will make various efforts to expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in the Middle East in the future."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor is solidifying its global technological leadership in the hydrogen industry, including the establishment of the world's first mass production system for hydrogen electric vehicles, the world's first large-scale hydrogen-electric truck, the mass-production of hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks, the export of hydrogen fuel cell systems in the non-automobile sector.