Last month I raced to Norway. Yes, a race. A race against time. In just over 24 hours, I took four planes, tested two cars and interviewed the man who leads one of the most important fronts of the world offensive in terms of Fuel Cell technology. In the middle of all this, because life is not just work, I slept 4 hours…
Worth it. It was worth it because there are opportunities that come up few times in life. Besides having tested the Hyundai Kauai Electric before its arrival in Portugal — remember that moment here — and having driven the Hyundai Nexo (which I'll talk to you about in the next few lines), I still spent 20 minutes chatting with Lee Ki-Sang.
Who is Lee Ki-Sang? He is simply the President of Hyundai's Eco-Technology Development Center, the man who has been leading Hyundai's destinies into the powertrains of the future. More recently, he was also the man who, through the work of his medal team, negotiated with the Volkswagen Group, through Audi, the transfer of Hyundai technology to the German giant.
the third way
It was only after I sat on the plane to Lisbon that I realized everything that had just happened. He had tested the present of the automobile, the future of this object that we are so passionate about, and spoken to one of the men who are leading this change.
If I had realized this before, I would have said so in this video. But there are times in our lives when we only understand the true dimension of events when we walk away.
Watch our Hyundai Nexo test:
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If you've had the opportunity to read our interview with Lee Ki-Sang, you already know Hyundai's position on the future of the car. Hyundai believes that by 2030 we will have an automobile market that is not limited to the supply of cars with battery-powered thermal and electric engines. There is a third way.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
In Norway, the process of implementing hydrogen filling stations has already started. There is a Norwegian company that guarantees the implementation of a hydrogen filling station from scratch in just seven days.
The third way is called Fuel Cell, or if you prefer, “Fuel Cell”. A technology that few brands have mastered and that even fewer have had the courage to market.
Hyundai, along with Toyota and Honda are some of these brands. Above all, Fuel Cell is a more sustainable technology than battery technology, which in Hyundai's view is, in the long run, not very sustainable.
The scarcity of natural resources (necessary for the manufacture of batteries) combined with the increase in demand for electric cars may dictate the depletion of this solution, gradually from 2030 onwards. That's why Hyundai is working hard on the next revolution: the fuel cell cars, or if you prefer, hydrogen cars.
The Importance of Hyundai Nexus
The Hyundai Nexo, in this context, is a model that aims to demonstrate the "state of the art" of this technology. More than selling thousands of units, it is a model that aims to change mindsets.
As I said in the video, from a practical point of view it is a model that drives like any other tram. The response is immediate, the almost absolute silence and the pleasantness of driving is also in a good plan.
All this without giant load times or environmental sustainability issues. Remember that the main component of fuel cells is aluminum - a 100% recyclable metal - unlike batteries that after their life cycle are little more than "garbage".
But this Hyundai Nexo isn't just about Fuel Cell technology. The Hyundai Nexo is also the Korean brand's first model to debut the brand's new stylistic language and driving support technologies that we'll see in the next generations of the Hyundai i20, i30, i40, Kauai, Tucson, Santa Fe and Ioniq.
reliability
Hyundai guarantees that the fuel cell is capable of withstanding 200,000 km, or 10 years. The equivalent of a modern combustion engine.
Hyundai Nexus numbers
Given these credentials, it's easy to bypass the 163 hp power of the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor and the 395 Nm of maximum torque.
Very interesting values, which allow the Nexo to reach a maximum speed of 179 km/h (electronically limited) and 0-100 km/h in just 9.2 seconds. The maximum range greatly exceeds 600 km — specifically 660 km of range according to the WLTP cycle. The advertised average consumption of hydrogen is just 0.95 kg/100km.
In terms of dimensions, we're talking about a model that is bigger and heavier than the Hyundai Kauai Electric — 1,814 kg in weight for the Nexo versus 1,685 kg for the Kauai. Numbers that don't have correspondence at the wheel, since the mass distribution is very well achieved.