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Could This Be the Next Hyundai NEXO?

Hydrogen vehicles still need a reliable and widespread refueling network to offer an alternative to combustion-engined vehicles and electric cars. That did not stop Hyundai from creating the first mass-production fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) – the ix35 FCEV – in 2013 and Toyota from offering the Mirai in 2014. Hyundai replaced the ix35 FCEV with the NEXO in 2018. After it completed four years in the market, Hyundai is allegedly already conceiving its next generation, and these renderings would prove that.
Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO? 7 photos
Photo: via HydrogenSolutions
Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?Will this be the next Hyundai NEXO?
They were shared by the Twitter profile HydrogenSolutions. We tried to confirm if the image came from Hyundai but did not manage to do so. Although it seems pretty professional and coherent from a design point of view, not being sure about it being something official or just an image prepared by a talented independent designer makes us deal with it as a promising possibility.

HydrogenSolutions states that no technical specifications were disclosed with the design sketches. Anyway, he expects the vehicle to carry 8 kilograms of hydrogen, which would be enough for it to reach a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. The current NEXO has three hydrogen tanks that hold 156 liters of the gas, or 6.3 kg. If you consider the 140 liters and 5.6 kg the ix35 FCEV used to carry, there is always an evolution with each new generation. In that sense, 8 kg would not be such a stretch.

BMW is trying to develop a flat hydrogen tank with TesTneT Engineering GmbH and Hexagon Purus. If they pull it off, such a hydrogen tank could fit where electric vehicles have their battery packs. In other words, automakers could easily replace some battery modules with a hydrogen tank or even the entire battery pack. If Hyundai has anything similar to offer on the next-generation NEXO, it may use the E-GMP or even the IMA on the NEXO instead of developing a platform exclusively for its FCEVs. Whatever prevails in the long run, the Korean automaker will be prepared for it.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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