South Korea's automotive major Hyundai Motor Group and Rolls-Royce have teamed up to bring out an all electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel cell technology-powered air mobility. According to Hyundai, the partnership will leverage Rolls-Royce's aviation and certification capabilities and its own hydrogen fuel cell technologies and industrialisation capability.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Rolls-Royce and Hyundai includes five strategic aims: Collaborating on the technology development and requirements of power and propulsion systems for Hyundai's Advanced Air Mobility Division, Collaborating on the industrialisation of Rolls-Royce power and propulsion systems for the advanced air mobility market, Development of electric propulsion systems based on hydrogen fuel cells as an energy source for Hyundai's RAM platforms, Collaborating to bring to market a joint fuel-cell electric propulsion system to the wider AAM market, Delivering a joint fuel-cell electric aircraft demonstration by 2025.

Delivering a joint fuel cell electric aircraft demonstration by 2025

According to Jaiwon Shin, President, Hyundai Motor Group, the partnership with Rolls-Royce will draw upon their aviation and certification expertise to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuelcell propulsion systems. “Hyundai has successfully delivered hydrogen fuel cell systems to the global automotive market and is now exploring the feasibility of electric and hydrogen propulsion technologies for aerospace integration. We believe this to be the key technology to support the global aviation industry's goal to fly net zero carbon by 2050”, he added.