Hyundai has revealed the NEXO will have the longest
range of any fuel cell vehicle on the market. Set to be launched in South Korea
next month, the NEXO has a certified range of 609 km which bests
rivals such as the Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai. Hyundai notes the range is
comparable to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and says this
“allows drivers to travel long distances without nervousness about range.”
While range isn’t as important in fuel cell
vehicles, it’s nice to be able to travel long distances as the hydrogen
refueling infrastructure is still in an its infancy in many places. In the
United States, the Department of Energy estimated there would be around 50
retail refueling stations by the end of 2017. A majority of them are located in
California and that’s why a number of automakers restrict fuel cell vehicles to
the state.
In order to get the impressive range, the NEXO has
been equipped with three storage tanks which each hold 52.2 liters of hydrogen. Despite the large storage capacity, the vehicle can still
be refueled in less than five minutes.
Power is provided by an electric motor that develops
163 PS and 395 Nm of torque. It enables the crossover to
accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 9.2 seconds before hitting a top speed
of 179 km/h.
The NEXO isn’t ideal for everyone but Hyundai says
the model will spearhead their plans to accelerate the development of low
emission vehicles. As part of this initiative, the Hyundai Motor Group will
launch 38 eco-friendly vehicles by 2025.
