Auto Expo 2020
Hyundai Nexo Reveals Hydrogen Powered Crossover SUV
Hyundai is always known for introducing best of technology in its products and the new Nexo FCEV Crossover SUV is a fine example. The South Korean automaker is showing its technology prowess in the form of hydrogen cell-powered vehicle at the Auto Expo 2020.
Exteriors
In terms of aesthetic, the car is a little larger than Hyundai Kona and looks super cool with the sleek LED headlights and honeycomb grille at the front. At the side, the car boasts of a sporty set of alloy wheels and body cladding all around. The rear features split triangle-shaped LED tail lamps with black surrounds.
Interiors
The cabin is certainly different from any of the Hyundai cars and looks futuristic. There is a floating central console that features controls for music, AC and drive modes along with touchscreen infotainment. The premium crossover also gets a dual-spoke steering wheel with mounted audio controls. The car looks adequately spacious from the rear as well and features AC vents.
Smart safety
On the technological front, the car is loaded with some of the advanced autonomous driving equipment including blind spot monitor, Highway Driving Assist (HAD), Lane Following Assist (LFE) and remote parking system which automatically parks the car when required.
Engine and Performance
The compact SUV draws its power from hydrogen fuel cell stack. The hydrogen is stored in three tanks where chemical reactions take place between hydrogen and oxygen which converts into electricity. The tanks have the capacity of 156.6L which can give WLTP-certified range of upto 666kms.
What’s more interesting is that the tanks can be refilled in just 5 mins which theoretically gives it an extreme edge over typical battery-powered electric cars which usually take hours to fully charge. Moreover, the fuel cell can perform well in cold climate conditions withstanding the temperatures as low as -30 degree centigrade.
The Nexo is powered by an electric motor which pumps out 161PS and 395Nm of max torque with a claimed acceleration from 0-100 in just 9.2 seconds.
Is it launching in India?
No, not as of now. The carmaker has already announced that this car is going under feasibility test. However, if the plan goes in the right direction, Nexo will be the first vehicle to come with this technology. While electric vehicles are still in their nascent stage in India, it seems the future of FCEV vehicles is rather bleak with no R&D and investment in this field.
In terms of infrastructure too, the only hydrogen fuel centre in India is located in Delhi which clearly shows it cannot be mass-produced in the coming years.
