Hyundai Nexo: Fuel cell drive improved

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There is one thing Hyundai really cannot be accused of: a lack of courage to fill the gap. The Nexo SUV with fuel cell-electric drive has not been a mass success globally to date. Nevertheless, Hyundai is launching the next generation, which should win over more customers than before with its edgy design and improved drive system. However, the chances of this are likely to be slim, and this is still not due to the car.

Improved in detail

As most people only think about this type of drive now and again, here is a brief introduction to the basic structure. The fuel cell uses hydrogen to generate electricity, which is used to power an electric motor. As the fuel cell itself reacts rather slowly, there is a small buffer battery. When a high load is required, the fuel cell and battery supply the electric motor with electricity. This makes such a vehicle an electric car with local power generation.

Hyundai has tweaked a number of parameters to improve the drive system in the Nexo. The power of the fuel cell stack increases to 94 kW net, the 2.64 kWh battery can be charged with up to 80 kW. The electric motor for the drive delivers 150 kW and offers a maximum torque of 350 Nm. This is enough for 179 km/h and top speed, and 7.8 seconds in the standard sprint.

Promised: More durable and more economical than before

What is probably more important for most prospective customers, however, is what has changed in terms of fuel tank, range, and consumption. The capacity of the H2 tank has increased from 6.33 to 6.69 kg with unchanged dimensions. There are still no official WLTP consumption figures. In the first package insert, Hyundai states 97.8 km per kilogram, which would be approximately 1.022 kg per 100 km. The maximum range is said to be 654 km. Both values are not recorded in the WLTP, but in the standard of the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Hyundai also wants to improve the durability and properties in frosty conditions. In this way, the brand wants to ensure that the drive can also be started in winter. There is also talk of improved durability of the membrane in the fuel cell and a uniform cell performance structure.

Questions remain

How useful a fuel cell is in a car is likely to continue to be the subject of intense debate. One side propagates openness to technology and the rapid replenishment of driving energy, while the other points to poor efficiency and a charging infrastructure that would be very expensive to expand. The debate is likely to continue. On the market, however, the matter appears to be settled: Battery-electric drive systems dominate worldwide registrations almost dramatically, at least in comparison to fuel cell-electric ones. Apart from Toyota, BMW and Hyundai, no one is officially working on a fuel cell for use in passenger cars to any great extent.

Apart from that, Hyundai continues to fit the Nexo into the format that is the most popular worldwide and also offers the opportunity to hide the bulky technology. At 4.75 m, the SUV is about the same size as a current BMW X3. Hyundai gives the trunk volume as 993 to 1719 liters, which probably refers to measured values up to the roof. The towing capacity is said to be 1000 kg.

Route planner: hopefully excellent

The Nexo has also been brought up to date in terms of assistance and infotainment. There are now over-the-air updates and voice recognition, which should benefit from artificial intelligence. Nexo drivers can only hope that the route planner works excellently. After all, with around 100 H2 filling stations, Germany is by far the leader in Europe, but this density has its limits. Especially as there are always longer downtimes. It is therefore not enough to simply store the H2 filling stations in the system. At some fuel pumps, the price per kilogram is now well over 15 euros. Hydrogen has never been a cheap alternative to other forms of driving energy, and there are no signs of this changing.

(mfz)