Ampol, Hyundai form Australian hydrogen, EV partnership

Australian refiner and fuel retailer Ampol and South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai have partnered to look at hydrogen road transport opportunities and building a presence in the electric vehicle (EV) market in Australia.

Hyundai and Ampol will look at the prospect of operating fuel cell EVs powered by hydrogen as part of an initial agreement, Ampol said. The partnership will explore the development of hydrogen infrastructure and fleets, with the firms to share knowledge and collaborate on opportunities for public funding of new hydrogen infrastructure.

Hyundai and Ampol will collaborate on programmes intended to give Hyundai customers access to battery EV charging offers across Ampol's EV charging network, known as AmpCharge, along with potential bundled energy offers incorporating home charging and broader energy solutions, Ampol said.

The firms will also work together to help accelerate the transition of fleet vehicles to EVs, with the aim of delivering an integrated offer that will provide fleet owners with the confidence in vehicle and charging infrastructure availability that they need to make the transition to zero-emission vehicles.

The Australian government last week released a discussion paper on developing a national EV strategy to increase their sales and boost energy security by reducing its overwhelming reliance on importing oil products and crude oil. EVs made up less than 2pc of new light vehicle sales in Australia in 2021, compared with 9pc globally.

By Kevin Morrison