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Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell arrives in Britain
Zero-emissions SUV to star in LondonHyundai has shipped five units of the ix35 Fuel Cell to Britain, to take part in London's Hydrogen Network Expansion (LNHE) project.
The ix35 Fuel Cell is claimed by Hyundai to be the first production hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle commercially available in the world. But the company is leasing the vehicles rather than selling them. To date, Hyundai has taken orders from municipalities in Denmark and Sweden, and, since October 2011, early-build cars have been demonstrated to the public in Brussels – through the European Union's Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
Production costs and complexity – plus the low level of demand for such a car in the current market – mean that manufacture of the ix35 Fuel Cell will be initially limited to 1000 units a year between now and 2015, but after that Hyundai plans to be building 10,000 per annum.
The ix35 Fuel Cell can run up to a maximum speed of 160km/h, Hyundai claims, and will start in temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius. For all intents and purposes it's as practical as any internal-combustion vehicle – and with a considerably longer range than most current EVs.
What's stopping fuel cell vehicles like the Hyundai from becoming universally adopted is the cost of manufacture, which would be passed on to the consumer in the purchase price, and the lack of filling stations that can supply consumers with the hydrogen to run the fuel cell vehicles – although that is slowly changing.
Power for the Hyundai is generated by a 100kW fuel cell stack, which recovers an electrical charge by converting hydrogen and oxygen to water. Electrical energy generated by the fuel cell stack is transferred to a 24kW lithium-polymer battery, providing the SUV a range of 594km between refills.
The oxygen for the process is drawn directly from the atmosphere, but the hydrogen is carried on board the vehicle in two tanks, boasting a combined capacity of 5.64kg. Refilling the tanks requires two or three minutes, provided there's a bowser that can supply hydrogen. That's why so few fuel cell vehicles make it to Australia. There's simply no hydrogen replenishment infrastructure in this country to keep fuel cell vehicles on the road.
In Britain, however, London plans to be a major player in the future hydrogen society. The LNHE project was announced in January this year, and will be rolled out over a three-year period, with the combined expertise of a consortium versed in hydrogen transport infrastructure supporting it. Existing filling stations in and around London will be upgraded to 700 bar pressure for fast refuelling and the network of stations will be expanded.
Diana Raine is the European Business Manager for Hydrogen Energy at Air Products, the lead company in the consortium. Back in January she introduced the LNHE as a showcase for similar emissions-free transport technology to be established across the UK.
"The LHNE project will bring together all the components necessary to make hydrogen transport possible across London and the South East as we prepare for the arrival in the UK of commercially available hydrogen vehicles," she was quoted saying in the press release.
"We hope that this project will act as an exciting demonstration model to be replicated across the UK and Europe in years to come."
"Air Products is delighted to be leading this project which represents a significant milestone in the development of the UK’s hydrogen fuelling infrastructure for hydrogen transport."
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