AutomotiveNov 3, 2026, 10:32 PM UTC·2 min read

Hyundai to Launch South Korea's First 13m Hydrogen Coach in 2027

Hyundai has cleared emissions certification for the Elec City hydrogen intercity bus, a 13-metre low-floor model due next year as Chinese battery buses gain ground.

A large white low-floor Hyundai Elec City hydrogen fuel-cell intercity bus driving on an urban expressway. — Image: 미래를 보는 창 - 전자신문

SUMO

Dialo

ediviewer

Hyundai Motor will launch South Korea's largest hydrogen fuel-cell intercity bus next year, a low-floor model close to the 13-metre legal limit for a single vehicle. Industry sources said the company has recently completed final emissions certification for the Elec City Hydrogen Electric Intercity Bus (type name CYEX401-A27FCEV6T-C) with the National Institute of Environmental Research's transport environment lab, KENCIS.

It is the first time Hyundai has put a 13-metre-class low-floor hydrogen bus into its production lineup. The company is still expected to go through vehicle specification registration with the transport ministry and safety testing, then build and deliver the bus at its Jeonju plant next year.

Powertrain and seating

The bus is built for long highway runs. It pairs a 475 hp (350 kW) drive motor with Hyundai's in-house PEMFC hydrogen fuel-cell system and a 48.3 kWh (630 V, 76.6 Ah) lithium-ion battery pack. Kerb weight is 13.6 tonnes and gross vehicle weight is 16.2 tonnes.

The length also resolves a policy conflict. Revised accessibility rules require low-floor buses with wheelchair space when route buses are replaced. Intercity buses on urban expressways cannot legally carry standing passengers, so operators need roughly 40 seats to make routes pay. Standard 11-metre low-floor bodies drop to 20 to 30 seats once a wheelchair area is added, which drew objections from operators. Hyundai's longer body keeps wheelchair facilities and still seats 41, including the driver.

Market context

The Environment Ministry plans to expand hydrogen buses from about 3,000 today to more than 20,000 cumulatively by 2030. The new model is expected to absorb replacement demand for ageing diesel buses on major routes around the Seoul area.

Hydrogen is also pitched as an answer to the limits of battery buses on this kind of route. Running heating and cooling on a large body over round trips of more than 100 km would need batteries weighing several tonnes, and charging takes one to two hours. A hydrogen bus can refuel in 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Chinese makers such as BYD have taken around 40% of the domestic 11-metre city battery bus market with cheaper LFP batteries, but large-body control and fuel-cell durability under harsh conditions are areas where they are unlikely to catch up quickly.