Hyundai Motor’s hydrogen car market share reaches 74%

Hyundai Motor Company has been leading the world’s hydrogen-electric car market since last year thanks to its diverse hydrogen-electric car line-up of the SUV, bus, and truck.

According to market research company SNE Research on Monday, the number of hydrogen cars sold worldwide from January to September this year is 6,664 – 4,917 or 73.8 percent of which were from Hyundai Motor Company. The automobile company’s sales increased by 61.3 percent year-on-year. Japan’s Toyota and Honda – ranked second and third – saw 61.8 percent and 27.2 percent decrease, respectively, only recording the sales of 767 and 187 units.

On top of the continued positive sales trend of its SUV “Nexo” and FCEV bus, Hyundai Motor Company launched a truck model “Xcient” this year, developing a hydrogen car line-up encompassing both commercial and passenger cars. Meanwhile, Toyota’s “Mirai” has been considered outdated in the market for having been launched six years ago and its production and sales in the U.S. have been suspended due to COVID-19.

However, the auto industry’s hydrogen-electric car competition will start in full-gear next year. Toyota launched the second-generation “Mirai,” which claims to be a high-performing sedan with a maximum driving range of 850 kilometers per one full charge, on Wednesday in Japan and is planning to launch the new model in the U.S. next year. Toyota will increase its annual production size by ten-fold compared to the previous model to 30,000 units based on 135 hydrogen charging stations in the country and the Japanese government’s policies to foster the hydrogen industry.

Chinese companies, which did not sell any cars last year, sold more than 100 units from January to September this year thanks to the domestic demand for trucks. They will continue to aggressively expand their supply next year.


Hyung-Seok Seo skytree08@donga.com