The model will enter extensive testing next year, in events organized throughout the country by the carmaker in collaboration with the South Korean government. Production of the model is expected to begin in 2015.
Officially, the model is called Tucson ix FCEV. It uses a drive system that gives it a driving range of 650 km per charge. According to Hyundai, the model, whose drivetrain comprises a 100kW fuel cell system and two hydrogen storage tanks, can operate at temperatures of minus 25 degrees Celsius.
The model itself is an evolution of the Tucson hybrid which has been tested a few years back by the carmaker. The new version is sourcing most of its components, about 95 percent of them, from the local market.
Fuel cells are probably one of the most effective ways to build an electric vehicle. These types of vehicles are, at the same time, one of the most difficult to turn into reality. Whereas regular electric vehicles, which use batteries, have something similar to an infrastructure to rely on, fuel cell vehicles will still be affected by the lack of filling stations in the years to come.
Currently, fuel cell vehicles are at the center of the research for several manufacturers across the world, including the Germans from Mercedes-Benz and the Americans from GM.
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