Hyundai Getting 100% Renewable Electricity In US, Partnering With Dutch Government

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Hyundai continues to be a bit of an under-hyped hero on cleantech. Well, maybe that’s going a little far, but it is definitely a company that has made many good decisions with regards to electric vehicles, and now we’ve got some great news from Hyundai regarding renewable energy as well.

Hyundai Solarizing Its Operations in USA

Hyundai has contracted to get solar power for all of its US factories. Hyundai Motor Group has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Matrix Renewables to get that solar electricity. The electricity is coming from a 147 MW power plant called the Stillhouse Solar Project. Matrix Renewables is based out of Madrid, Spain, but this project will be in Texas.

Hyundai is planning to make more investments and sign more renewable energy contracts for US facilities later in the year as well. The company will also start doing so more at other factories around the world.

From this large solar power plant, 378 GWh of electricity is expected to be produced per year. The estimate, therefore, is that it will reduce Hyundai’s carbon emissions by 140,000 tons per year.

“The secured solar energy will support sustainable manufacturing at several Group-affiliated plants in the U.S., such as HMGMA, a factory dedicated to electric vehicles (EVs), and other plants that supply parts, steel plates and sheets for the Group’s EVs,” Hyundai writes. “Affiliates of the Group, including HMGMA, Hyundai Mobis North America Electrified Powertrain LLC, Hyundai Steel Georgia Inc., and Hyundai Transys Georgia Powertrain Inc., collectively joined the agreement and will strengthen a sustainable supply chain with renewable energy from parts to vehicles.”

Hyundai + Dutch Government = Smarter Transport

Hyundai also announced yesterday that it is teaming up with the Dutch government. Why? To be smarter.

Hyundai and Kia vehicles are going to connect with “smart” Dutch infrastructure to receive “smart traffic and safety information.” What does that mean? I also had to ask, but the answer is pretty straightforward. “Information includes real-time traffic accident data, and alerts of approaching ambulances, making it easier for vehicles to yield, while the development of increased communication between Hyundai and Kia vehicles aims to further alleviate traffic congestion.”

That sounds good. Not revolutionary, but could significantly help with safety from time to time.

To end, Hyundai writes the following: “The project is aligned with the Group’s strategy of transitioning to SDx (software-defined everything), building a user-centered mobility ecosystem defined by software and AI. The Group will continue to collaborate with the Netherlands to identify further opportunities to enhance the smart mobility experience for users.” AI is a nice buzzword that is supposedly powering a lot of unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky projects and startups, but at least in this case, the companies are doing something practical that will save lives. Enjoy!