Today’s EVs may be stuffed to the gills with massive batteries, but Hyundai rolled into CES 2024 with a reminder: It hasn’t given up on hydrogen yet. In fact, it’s doubling down and finding solutions in odd places, like the toilet and recycling bin.
As part of a plan to develop hydrogen from more environmentally friendly sources, Hyundai has developed processes for obtaining hydrogen from sewage and waste plastics.
According to Chang Hwan Kim, Hyundai’s head of fuel cell development, sewage can be digested with a microorganism that produces biogas, which can then be “upgraded” to hydrogen. Plastic, meanwhile, is melted into a black, honey-like goo, which can also be turned into gas and further refined into hydrogen. Hyundai claims the process can even be used with otherwise non-recyclable plastics. Currently, most industrially available hydrogen is refined from natural gas, making it reliant on fossil fuels.
Hyundai sells just one hydrogen fuel cell vehicle right now, the Nexo, a model it introduced in 2018. But don’t expect to see its lineup shift away from batteries anytime soon. “Batteries and fuel cells are not really competing technologies,” said Kim. “Batteries are energy storage and fuel cells are energy conversion.” Because fuel cells offer superior energy density, Hyundai will focus on bringing them to industrial applications like large trucks, construction equipment, and even ships. A fleet of 30 big rigs powered by its Xcient fuel cells is already operating at the Port of Oakland.
To improve hydrogen infrastructure, Hyundai will also participate in a U.S. government initiative to develop seven regional hydrogen hubs around the United States, use hydrogen at a new EV factory under construction in the state of Georgia, and partner with Indonesia to begin deploying its waste-to-hydrogen process in West Java. The company has invested $1.4 billion in hydrogen since it began development of fuel cells in 1998 and intends to spend another $1.4 billion in the next three years.
Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.
With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?