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Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy.
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Hyundai says 34 of the costly but efficient vehicles will be on the streets by 2008
"Hydrogen-cell" buses will soon hit the streets in South Korea. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, in cooperation with the nation's top car maker Hyundai Motor Co., unveiled a bus operating on hydrogen-cell batteries and conducted a test-drive of the next-generation vehicle.
South Korea would be the third country in the world to develop and use hydrogen-cell buses, the ministry said.
On one recharge of 40 kg of hydrogen, the bus can run more than 300 kilometers, two times more fuel efficient than conventional vehicles.
Still, the buses leave a lot to be desired. The bus does not start when temperatures drop to -20 degrees Celsius, and the fuel cell's durability needs to be improved, as well. Also, the bus costs around 3 billion won, 20-30 times more than a conventional bus.
Hyundai Motors will deploy the bus for commuters between its Seoul headquarters and one of its research centers in Gyeonggi Province and increase the number of buses in service to 34 by 2008. Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
