Hyundai Motor Group said it has completed a hydrogen mobility trial in Trojena, a mountainous region of Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM development, marking the first deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles in high-altitude terrain.
The trial, conducted in partnership with Enowa, NEOM’s energy and water subsidiary, involved operating Hyundai’s UNIVERSE fuel cell electric coach bus on routes reaching elevations of 2,080 meters and gradients of 24 per cent. The vehicle simulated passenger transport between NEOM’s future core business district and Trojena.
The tests follow a memorandum of understanding signed in September 2024 between Hyundai Motor Group and NEOM’s Mobility sector to develop next-generation zero-emission mobility solutions.
Enowa recently installed the region’s first hydrogen refuelling station, which supported Hyundai’s use of the UNIVERSE Fuel Cell bus for VIP transport in NEOM from October to December 2024.
The Group’s involvement in hydrogen initiatives in Saudi Arabia builds on development work that began in the late 1990s.
The trial aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and its hydrogen-focused HTWO platform, which covers hydrogen production, storage and applications.
