Photo: Hyundai
Back in February, Hyundai’s Nexo fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) set an unofficial record, after going for 378 miles (609 km) on a single charge. Now, the replacement of the Tucson FCEV is set to become the carmaker’s leading eco-car, starting in its home market of Korea.
Hyundai says that in a span of only one week this month, over 1,000 vehicles have been pre-ordered, over 70 percent of them on the first day alone. That prompted the carmaker to announce both pricing and availability for the car.
The Nexo would at first be sold in Korea only, with a wider global roll-out expected in the coming years. In Ulsan, for instance, buyers would have to pay the equivalent of over $64,000 for the entry level. The steep price, however, might be justified by the performances of the vehicle.
The range we talked about earlier is not all that impressive, as it is pretty much in line with what some other EVs out there are capable of. The difference, however, is made by the way in which Nexo gets charged.
Whereas for getting an EV road-ready one would have to wait for in between two and eight hours, for Nexo charging time, sort of speak, is only five minutes or so. That’s because the Nexo does not charge at a station, but fills its 52-liter tank with hydrogen, and then electricity in produced on the go.
The Nexo packs 181 horsepower, but what it lacks compared to EVs is instant torque. The model accelerates from naught to sixty modestly, in a little under 10 seconds.
But that may not be so important for most customers. Having the chance of not sitting in one place for hours as the car charges might make the Nexo much more appealing than electric cars.
The downside is that hydrogen fueling stations very scarce, even more, so that charging stations.
The Nexo would at first be sold in Korea only, with a wider global roll-out expected in the coming years. In Ulsan, for instance, buyers would have to pay the equivalent of over $64,000 for the entry level. The steep price, however, might be justified by the performances of the vehicle.
The range we talked about earlier is not all that impressive, as it is pretty much in line with what some other EVs out there are capable of. The difference, however, is made by the way in which Nexo gets charged.
Whereas for getting an EV road-ready one would have to wait for in between two and eight hours, for Nexo charging time, sort of speak, is only five minutes or so. That’s because the Nexo does not charge at a station, but fills its 52-liter tank with hydrogen, and then electricity in produced on the go.
The Nexo packs 181 horsepower, but what it lacks compared to EVs is instant torque. The model accelerates from naught to sixty modestly, in a little under 10 seconds.
But that may not be so important for most customers. Having the chance of not sitting in one place for hours as the car charges might make the Nexo much more appealing than electric cars.
The downside is that hydrogen fueling stations very scarce, even more, so that charging stations.
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