Hyundai Moving Ahead with Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Powered Tucson

Hyundai intends to put its fuel-cell Tucson into what its executives call, oxymoronically, “small-scale mass-production.” By 2015 Hyundai says total production will have reached 1000 units, mostly for Europe. The company’s European boss says it could be “up to 10,000 units a year after 2015, mostly for California and Europe, provided the market and infrastructure are up to it.”

Hyundai Tucson ix35 fuel cell crossover rear side view 300x187 imageThe crossover, which will be a lease-only vehicle for selected fleets up to 2015, will be built down the regular Tucson assembly line in Ulsan, Korea. After that it will be made available for private buyers to purchase, at a projected €40,000 ($52,000), although cars are more expensive in general in Europe than the U.S. so Californian buyers would potentially see a lower price.

The modified Hyundai Tucson has a 100kW fuel-cell stack, is capable of 100 mph, and gets to from 0 to 62 mph in 12.5 seconds, the company claims. We tested our long-term all-wheel-drive 2010 Hyundai Tucson, with a 176-hp 2.4-liter I-4 and a six-speed automatic transmission, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 9.0 seconds. The range on a full tank of hydrogen is 367 miles on the European test drive cycle. The tank capacity is 12 pounds of hydrogen, at 700 bar. Refueling takes “a few minutes” according to Hyundai. The 700bar pressure and the refueling nozzle are the global standard for filling stations.

Hyundai Tucson ix35 fuel cell crossover interior instrument cluster 300x187 imageThat stack gets its oxygen from ambient rather than compressed air, which Hyundai says will lead to lower parasitic power loss. Also, the passengers will hear less noise because there is no compressor. The stack feeds a lithium-ion buffer battery, the same as the one in the Sonata Hybrid.

Motor Trend has driven a prototype of the vehicle, and it feels like an EV in terms of silence and smoothness. Passenger space is uncompromised versus the gasoline model, and the trunk floor is only a few inches higher.

Hyundai, together with Honda, Daimler, Nissan, and Toyota, is working with European local and city governments to get hydrogen-filling infrastructure in place.

Courtesy of Motor Trend