South Korean rolling stock manufacturer Hyundai Rotem has revealed its Hydrogen fuel cell tram.
The tram has been in development since 2021, as part of a project backed by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; as well as the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Korea Automobile Research Centre and Ulsan Tecno Park.
The tram moves by using electric energy generated by hydrogen fuel cells which are loaded inside the trams. The fuel cells produces the electricity used to move the trams through electrochemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen, essentially generating electric energy using stored hydrogen.
The tram also produces zero carbon emissions according to Hyundai alongside a clean air system which traps ultrafine dust in an air filter.
The tram can travel 150km on a single charge, according to the company and generates 107.6kg of clean air and purifies 800 micrograms of fine dust for each hour of operation.
The fuel cell itself uses a hybrid method that combines a hydrogen fuel cell with a battery. Using a fuel cell that produces electricity from the hydrogen tank, it then saves any surplus energy in an energy storage system.
Hyundai Rotem is developing liquid hydrogen engine trains to implement hydrogen energy across the rail industry while also building the hydrogen infrastructure by building hydrogen fuelling stations and the Hynet Hydrogen Shipping centre to produce hydrogen by extracting hydrogen from natural gases and to supply hydrogen fuel.
The new hydrogen fuel cell tram is Hyundai Rotem’s first commercial model of hydrogen fuel cell and is part of its larger plans for carbon-friendly rail. The company is also currently in the early planning stage of a hydrogen-powered train which will operate at increased speeds of 180km/h. The new model is expected to be completed in 2027.
The development of the tram however, is expected to finish at the end of 2023.
Photo Credit: Hyundai Rotem
The Fuel-Cell Tram Truely Green Public Transport
Trams without the electrical overhead, brings a new dimension for new tram planning, by making trams cheaper to build and operate, enabling them to penetrate further to attract more ridership.
Except for Canada and our archaic rules about light rail, the fuel-cell tram will no longer have issues with winter ice on the third rail or on the electrical overhead.
The fuel-cell tram can be built and operated without the need of costly electrical overhead maintenance as it does away with it completely.
Unlike battery trams or fast charging capacitor trams, there is no worry about the lithium batteries exploding or catching fire.
The fuel cell tram is opening the door on a new age of clean, green public transport, which sadly is something Canadian politicians talk a lot about but never do anything about it except raising carbon taxes.
Sadly Canadian politicians have been left at the station long ago, waiting for expensive subways and light metros that seldom come.
New hydrogen fuel cell tram unveiled by Hyundai
This is a very good development for green technology. I worked with Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology (known as Air Independent Propulsion) when I was the navy on submarines. It’s far far superior to the battery electric propulsion technology that most EV developers are sticking to. However, its just not there yet. The real advantage of OCS (overhead wires) or 3rd rail is that, they can dump huge, amounts of electrical current into electric motors, more easily, cheaply and efficiently then fuel cells and battery electric propulsion systems can. For now! So good for Hyundai were not there yet though, IMHO.
when it comes to H2 there is a competition based on price given that Alstom (French), Siemans (German), and the Spanish transit company and now Hyundai Rotem. Skytrain only had Bombardier which is now Alstom (Canada).
@Chris Shelton, unfortunately the technology is too new and experimental, the kind of competition cost savings only only happen once you have a common H2 method of propulsion, design, including delivery method for the fuel and source material production. You need dozens of systems operating in multiple places and environments before that kind cost savings happen. The existing systems are just too different from each right now.
There is no doubt that this will change but this is my point, that all of the existing H2 technology is just not developed enough yet. Don’t add it to vehicles until the tech is gumball machine cheap and reliable. This is same problem with battery electric propulsion in trains as well as cars and trucks. The automobile and train manufacturers never use to add new technology unti it was so cheap that it didn’t add significant cost to the vehicle’s total cost. Whereas H2 and battery electric propulsion by itself can and consistently nearly double the cost of any vehicle using it.
Battery electric buses are twice the cost of existing diesel buses currently. You also have to buy more of them because a significant portion of your fleet (no less than 33%) needs to be charging at any given time. It would be better to operate cleaner diesel technology buses, which do exist and use significantly cheaper more reliable technology and yes,’ they aren’t as clean as electric vehicles.
Frankly, its cheaper and easier for now to string up more wires, buy and operate more electric trolley buses than buying new H2 or Battery Electric buses. The tech just isn’t ready yet.