Hyundai to Join Kia with a Dedicated Fuel Cell Vehicle in 2020

Hyundai Motor Co. plans to introduce an all-new fuel cell vehicle by 2020—the same timeframe that affiliate Kia Motors Corp. is targeting for its own hydrogen-powered fuel cell model.

Hyundai began selling the Tucson FCV (known as the ix35 outside the U.S.) fuel cell model earlier this year. Unlike that vehicle, which is a modified version of the conventionally powered Tucson compact crossover/SUV, the new vehicle will be a dedicated fuel cell vehicle, Hyundai-Kia hydrogen research head Sae-Hoon Kim, tells Autocar.

The new Kia model also is expected to be a fuel cell-only design. Toyota and Honda already sell dedicated fuel cell vehicles with the Mirai and Clarity, respectively.

Using a unique platform allows designers to optimize the design for a fuel cell system, Kim notes. As an example, he cites the Mirai’s large radiators, which provide greater cooling performance.

Hyundai is targeting a 500-mile driving range and a top speed of 110 mph for the new fuel cell vehicle. The current Tucson/ix35 FCV tops out at 100 mph and can travel about 375 miles on a tank of hydrogen.

Moving forward, Kim expects fuel cells to increasingly compete with hybrid and all-electric vehicles. While the two technologies will co-exist, he says fuel cells are the “best powertrain for larger vehicles."