[Photo provided by Hyundai Motor Co.]

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South Korea’s auto giant Hyundai Motor Co. has expanded its hydrogen business presence in Saudi Arabia by exporting hydrogen-fueled vehicles including its first eco-friendly buses to the world’s largest oil producer.

Hyundai Motor said on Monday its two Nexo crossover SUVs and two Elec City FCEV buses will be delivered to Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.

Hyundai Motor forged a hydrogen partnership with Saudi Aramco in June last year to bring more environmentally friendly vehicles to the Middle East country. Saudi Aramco currently operates two hydrogen charging facilities there and is aiming to expand the charging infrastructure.

Nexo and Elec City FCEV will be used for test driving and other pilot projects.

[Photo provided by Hyundai Motor Co.]

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The export to the Middle East, home to over a fifth of the world’s oil output, signals a paradigm shift to cleaner fuels in the automotive segment, Hyundai Motor emphasized.

This is the first time the Korean finished carmaker has shipped its Elec City FCEV to overseas markets. The FCEV bus equipped with a quality fuel cell can travel up to 430 kilometers on a single charge.

Hyundai Motor hopes the latest shipment would help prove its technological prowess in hydrogen solutions and further draw more EV orders from the Middle East.

Earlier, it established the world’s first production line for hydrogen trucks, shipped 10 trucks to Switzerland and exported its fuel solution to European energy solutions companies.

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