Fuel cell vehicles are fast getting popular in Western car markets. It is being said that fuel cell vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the world of cars. However, limited refueling stations and low production mean that Fuel Cell cars are still some time away from entering the mainstream car market.
Korean auto giant is hoping to boost the popularity of these vehicles and the first production spec ix35 Fuel Cell recently rolled off its assembly line at the Ulsan manufacturing facility in South Korea. The first ix35 will become a fleet vehicle for the Copenhagen, Sweden and will soon become one of the 17 ix35 FCs which will be used by the municipalities.
Hyundai intends to produce 1,000 ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles by 2015 and these vehicles are targeted at European governments and private fleets. Hyundai believes that post-2015, lower cost of production will make it viable for FCVs to be sold to an average car buyer.
The Hyundai ix35 has a fuel cell stack that converts hydrogen into electricity. The electricity produced powers the electric motor. The ix35 FC has a top speed of 160kmph and can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 12.5 seconds. The vehicle has a range of 594 km on a tank of hydrogen.