Hyundai is to lease 15 of its ix35 hydrogen fuel cell cars to the Municipality of Copenhagen as the carmaker steps up its plans for hydrogen-fuelled cars.
Having already trialled two such cars in Denmark, the firm sees the country’s capital as well-developed for the introduction of hydrogen cars, with refuelling infrastructure already in place. The two ix35 fuel cell test cars have already clocked up 45,000 km on Danish roads in recent years.
The Korean brand is one of the world’s leaders in the development of fuel cell cars, and is currently collaborating with six other international brands for a European Hydrogen Road Tour (see story) which is now heading to Paris, in time for the Paris Motor Show.
Speaking of France’s biennial show, Hyundai will be using the event to highlight its commitment to hydrogen fuel cell cars, with plans for a commercial launch in 2015.
In the meantime, the ix35 which is expected to be the firm’s first hydrogen model on sale to consumers, will continue to prove its clean and quiet running benefits in Copenhagen, as the city seeks to go carbon-free by 2025.
"We are very proud that The Municipality of Copenhagen has chosen us as the supplier of hydrogen vehicles. We consider it as evidence that the municipality is aware of Hyundai’s leadership in eco-friendly vehicles,” said Niels Rønnebech, Managing Director of Hyundai Denmark. “The municipality deserves high praise for leading the way in helping to develop new technology.”
The ix35 features a hydrogen storage tank and a fuel cell stack through which hydrogen reacts with atmospheric oxygen to generate electricity to power the car and emit only water as a tailpipe emission. Unlike battery-electric cars, it takes only minutes to refill and offers range of around 360 miles-much like a conventional combustion car.
Korean car maker is targeting a price of around US$50,000 (£31,625) by the time the ix35 FCEV goes into commercial production by 2015. The current prototype’s 144 litres hydrogen fuel tank could cost as little as $30 (£19) to fill, giving an estimated cost per mile of around 5p.
The ix35 FCEV has a maximum speed of 100 mph and zero-to-62mph time of 12.8 seconds.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
michael green
T.M.N great company Hydrogen generated from water via electrolysis is the ideal fuel generation route as it permits green hydrogen production by accessing renewable power. There are two significant benefits to the hydrogen fuel being produced externally to the vehicle. The first is purely practical – the volume and weight of hydrogen generation equipment is such that incorporating it within a vehicle presents significant challenges. The second is the ability to separate the requirement for electrical power from the refuelling event, owners of BEVs dictate when the demand load is connected to the grid. With electrolytic hydrogen, it is the grid manager who decides when the load is added to generate the hydrogen gas, effectively this is a demand side managed load that helps to assimilate intermittent and varying sources of renewable energy.
February 17, 2013