Hyundai Forges Ahead With Hydrogen Powertrain Tech

The 2023 Nexo to spawn a new family of Hyundai fuel cell electric vehicles

- Felix Page

Hyundai intends its second-generation Nexo to be a much more mainstream proposition than today’s car as it embarks on a landmark drive to “popularise” hydrogen as an alternative fuel by 2040.

Due in 2023, the SUV will use Hyundai’s new 100kW hydrogen fuel cell stack – the third evolution of the Korean company’s hardware, the original having appeared in the pioneering ix35 Fuel Cell from 2013.

Some 30% smaller than the current stack to facilitate use in a wider variety of market segments, the new stack is designed to offer significantly enhanced durability over its predecessors. Hyundai estimates the current Nexo’s powertrain is capable of 5000 hours or 100,000 miles of use; the new one is projected to boost those figures by between 50% and 100%.

The advances made in this area are all part of Hyundai’s dual-pronged approach to electrification, by which fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) will become as important as its Ioniq-badged family of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

“We’re committed to both battery and fuel cell technologies,” confirmed a Hyundai spokesman at the Munich motor show.

The key attributes behind hydrogen’s appeal include its capacity for long driving ranges and short refuelling times.

Crucial to the large-scale roll-out of hydrogen will be Hyundai’s aim to achieve cost parity between BEVs and FCEVs by 2030, suggesting the Nexo could become a closely priced alternative to the similarly sized Ioniq 5 BEV in its next-generation form.