Tata Daewoo Mobility participa en 'WHE 2026' junto con Kolon Spaceworks

Tata Daewoo Mobility (President Kim Tae-sung) announced on the 3rd that it will exhibit the 'MAXEN' hydrogen engine tractor prototype at the 'World Hydrogen EXPO 2026 (hereinafter WHE 2026)' to be held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province from Wednesday, November 4 to Friday, November 6.

WHE 2026 is a combined industrial exhibition and international conference that introduces the latest technologies and solutions across the hydrogen industry. This year, under the slogan 'Hydrogen Moves to Market: Making Bankable Projects Work,' about 200 companies from over 20 countries will participate and exhibit technologies across the entire value chain, from hydrogen production to storage, transportation, and utilization fields such as mobility. At this event, Tata Daewoo Mobility will showcase a prototype vehicle equipped with Kolon Spaceworks' hydrogen storage technology.

This exhibition will be held at the Kolon Spaceworks booth in Halls 7 and 8 of KINTEX Exhibition Center 2. The booth will display the MAXEN hydrogen engine tractor along with Kolon Spaceworks' hydrogen storage system module mounted on the vehicle. Visitors will be able to directly examine the structure of the storage system, from the completed MAXEN hydrogen engine tractor to the hydrogen tank structure, refueling, fuel supply, and safety devices. The focus is on demonstrating how Tata Daewoo Mobility's large commercial vehicle development capabilities and Kolon Spaceworks' hydrogen storage technology have been combined in an actual vehicle.

The MAXEN hydrogen engine tractor is a vehicle that uses hydrogen as fuel based on existing diesel internal combustion engine technology. Hydrogen internal combustion engines can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated during operation while utilizing much of the existing internal combustion engine technology and maintenance infrastructure, and are attracting attention as a technological alternative for the eco-friendly transition of large commercial vehicles.

Tata Daewoo Mobility is developing a hydrogen engine truck based on its flagship heavy-duty truck 'MAXEN,' and has been continuing technical cooperation with Kolon Spaceworks, including jointly developing a high-pressure compressed hydrogen storage system (CHSS) for vehicles. The system applies a hydrogen storage tank using Kolon Spaceworks' self-developed carbon fiber composite material 'Towpreg' and a plastic liner.

The hydrogen storage system combining the technological capabilities of both companies is designed to increase hydrogen storage efficiency even in limited vehicle space by applying 700-bar high-pressure storage technology. The MAXEN hydrogen engine tractor is equipped with six hydrogen tanks with a capacity of 177 liters (L) each, providing a total storage capacity of 1,062 liters. It features a structure that integrates and manages hydrogen stored in multiple tanks and supplies it to the engine, with a focus on ensuring safety during hydrogen refueling and vehicle operation.

In terms of driving performance, it also has the power level required for large commercial vehicles. It is equipped with an HX12 11-liter hydrogen engine that produces a maximum output of 408 horsepower (ps) and maximum torque of 170 kgf·m, and applies a ZF 12-speed automatic transmission to support power delivery necessary for large cargo transport.

Kim Tae-sung, President of Tata Daewoo Mobility, said, "This exhibition is a meaningful occasion to showcase the possibilities of Tata Daewoo Mobility's accumulated commercial vehicle development capabilities and hydrogen engine technology through collaboration with Kolon Spaceworks," and added, "We will continue to expand the scope of eco-friendly technology application based on our large commercial vehicle development experience and technological capabilities, and actively respond to changes in the future commercial vehicle market."

The vehicle exhibited this time is a prototype currently under development, and Tata Daewoo Mobility plans to continue performance and durability verification based on actual vehicles with the goal of mass production. In addition to the tractor, the company plans to expand the range of applicable vehicle types to large cargo trucks and special-purpose vehicles, while also continuing cooperation with Kolon Spaceworks in various areas such as expanding storage capacity and reducing system weight.