Hyundai locks in hydrogen future

Hyundai will produce its first dedicated fuel-cell vehicle based on next-generation FCEV technology in 2018.

The Korean company has been researching FCEVs since 2000 and two years ago became the first manufacturer to mass-produce an FCEV, based on the superseded ix35.

Frank Meijer, Head of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles at Hyundai Motor Europe, spoke to motoring.com.au at the Frankfurt motor show about the company’s next step in its FCEV plans.

Meijer confirmed that the 2018 FCEV will be an SUV, and while he would not be drawn on specifics, he did hint at the possibility of the Tucson platform serving as the basis of the new car, perhaps with a different body to differentiate it from its fossil-fuelled sibling.

“We were asked about a year and half ago, what should we do? This year we launched the Tucson. Should we take that car and use that for the fuel-cell version in 2018?" he said.

"Why don’t we do it a little bit differently? [It has to be] a SUV I think, because the roominess, usability are super-important.”

Hyundai’s FCEV Europe boss also confirmed that the layout would be conventional in the new SUV.

“We want to keep costs down, so we will have a similar layout to what we now have. We use a normal car, we will use a similar system,” he said.

Meijer said that when Hyundai’s next-generation FCEV arrives in 2018 it will see further refinements to the fuel-cell concept.

“The powertrain for the 2018 model is pretty close to being set, but you’ll definitely see a lot of improvements in speed and in range," he said.

"The layout will be similar to the fuel stack we have now. We have 434 layers in the fuel stack, and [the new FCEV] will be quite similar. We will also try to improve consumption, because that will have quite a large impact."

We had a brief drive of the ix35 FCEV earlier this year in Korea, where it entered production in March 2013, and motoring.com.au has just completed a 1000km trek across Europe in the hydrogen-powered SUV, which you’ll be able to read about in coming weeks.

Hyundai’s ix35 fuel-cell vehicle is now rolling out in Europe, with 250 cars due on the road by the end of this year.

The ix35 runs a 100kW electric motor powered by a hydrogen fuel stack fed by composite hydrogen fuel tanks with a 5.64kg capacity (equivalent to 144 litres). The ix35 has a touring range of 594km on a full tank.

According to Meijer, the powertrain refinements to the 2018 Hyundai FCEV will focus on the fuel cell stack and the battery.

“Like with every new technology, miniaturisation will be key in the next couple of years. There is still work we can do to make the stacks smaller, and also in making the transition to the battery more efficient,” he said.