April 20, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor on April 17 said it plans to unveil its very first commercialized electric bus in May before its mass production in 2018.

The vehicle’s debut will come on May 25 on the opening day of the “Hyundai Truck & Bus Mega Fair” that will be held at the carmaker’s newly opened Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

The new bus will have a driving range of 260 kilometers that can be fully charged within one hour with a high-speed charger, industry sources say.

Hyundai plans to conduct trial runs of its electric buses in the second half of this year, with plans to roll out the mass-market models in the first half of next year for global sales. 

Hyundai’s trucks and buses are displayed at the upcoming “Hyundai Truck & Bus Mega Fair” that runs May 25-28 at the KINTEX outdoor exhibition area and Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

This is the first time that the auto conglomerate will mass-produce electric buses. Hyundai showcased its first electric bus Elec-city in 2010, but its commercialization never came through, faced with price constraints.

Hyundai’s upcoming exhibition for commercial vehicle is the first of its kind in Korea. It will run through May 28 at the KINTEX outdoor exhibition area and Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, according to the automaker. During the four-day run, Hyundai plans to announce its plans for developing green commercial vehicles in the future, as part of the automaker’s broader EV push.

At the trade show, Hyundai will showcase 57 units of production cars, 106 special purpose vehicles, as well as 9 cars equipped with new eco-friendly technology, including the Solati fuel cell concept car. Visitors will be able to test-drive the exhibited buses and trucks at the show.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)