Hyundai Nexo: Emission-free In The Fast Lane

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Hyundai Nexo: Emission-free In The Fast Lane
Hyundai Nexo: Emission-free In The Fast Lane

Video: Hyundai Nexo: Emission-free In The Fast Lane

Video: Hyundai Nexo: Emission-free In The Fast Lane
Video: Hyundai Nexo - emission-free driving for everyone thanks to the fuel cell 2024, March
Anonim

Hydrogen. For many experts, this is the future. But while the German manufacturers cannot offer a fuel cell car, Hyundai is already launching its second model, the Nexo.

No, this Hyundai will not be a volume model either. The Hyundai ix35 F-Cell has sold 200 vehicles across Germany since its market launch in 2013. That's a homeopathic dose.

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So now the Hyundai Nexo is in the starting blocks. 180 orders had already been placed for him before the market launch in August. For a car with a price of 69,000 euros, that's remarkable. But even at Hyundai you don't get false hopes, here too you know: the Nexo will not storm the registration lists. He doesn't have to either. Because this car is a commitment to hydrogen technology for the Koreans. At Hyundai, just like at Toyota with the Mirai, they believe in this technology.

German manufacturers hesitate

Hyundai Nexo: On the way to the future 1 of 15

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Natural materials made from sugar cane, corn or soy can be found in the panels, seats, headliners and carpets of the Hyundai Nexo. Hyundai

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The 12.3 inch screen in the Hyundai Nexo tells you about route guidance, energy flow, air purification and the fill level of the tanks. Hyundai

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The Hyundai Nexo. Photo: Hyundai
The Hyundai Nexo. Photo: Hyundai

The Hyundai Nexo is attracting great interest from commercial customers. Hyundai

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Filling the tank of the Hyundai Nexo completely takes just under 5 minutes. Hyundai

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The forward-looking technology of the car is reflected in the design of the Hyundai Nexo. Hyundai

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The Hyundai Nexo offers retractable and retractable door handles like those from the Tesla Model S. Hyundai

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The hydrogen-powered Hyundai Nexo achieves a real range of 666 km on one tank of fuel. Hyundai

The new Hyundai Nexo. Photo: Hyundai / Bittmann
The new Hyundai Nexo. Photo: Hyundai / Bittmann

If you talk to the German manufacturers, you hear something similar. They are also convinced of the technology there. Nevertheless, the market launch of such a model has been postponed for years. The reasons for this are always the same: poor infrastructure, too high a price, no customer interest. Daimler intends to offer a fuel cell car with the Mercedes GLC F-Cell at the end of the year, but it will only be given to selected customers.

Those who are really serious about a technology act differently. Like Hyundai. The Koreans recently announced a cooperation with Audi. Both partners hope that this will increase efficiency and, as a result, lower prices.

For the Koreans, the Nexo is a lighthouse project. It contains all of the know-how that one has to offer. The price is correspondingly high. The 4.67 meter long mid-size SUV was calculated in such a way that it is less than 60,000 euros (to be precise: 57,983 euros). This means that the buyer can still enjoy the purchase premium for electric cars. In any case, the Nexo is an eye-catcher with its matt gray paintwork that has been aerodynamically optimized down to the last detail. Not only are the door handles retractable, but the air can also be directed past the car through small openings on the left and right of the front apron. At the D-pillar, the air can also be directed past the car with almost no resistance.

Sustainability in the interior too

Aerodynamics on the one hand, sustainability apart from the drive on the other. In the interior, recyclable materials made from corn, soy and sugar cane are used for the seats and trim. That makes sense, but is also a matter of course for such a car.

What the developers thought when designing the very wide center console remains its secret. There the viewer will find an abundance of switches and buttons that cause confusion, at least at the first encounter. It reminds you a bit of an airplane cockpit. Well, you don't have to like everything, especially not right away. Maybe you will get used to this look and functionality if you drive the Nexo for more than just a day.

But apart from that, there is little to complain about, on the contrary. The combination display is not only modern, but also shows a camera image of the traffic behind when changing lanes. That's a really great thing. The high-resolution image is displayed when the indicator is set. A great feature.

Sufficient space in the rear

Just as the driver and front passenger have enough space despite the sweeping center console, the passengers in the rear don't have to complain either, despite the three hydrogen tanks with a capacity of 6.33 kilograms installed underneath them. They too can sit very comfortably: they have sufficient knee and headroom. The trunk of the Korean can accommodate 461 to 1466 liters. Compared to other SUVs in this class, this is not outstanding, but sufficient.

Much more relevant than the trunk volume is something different anyway: the range - and that without long charging. Because it only takes around five minutes to fill the tank with 6.33 kilograms of hydrogen. This means that a range of 750 kilometers can be achieved according to the old NEDC cycle, and 666 kilometers according to the new, more realistic WLTP. That is an announcement.

If it weren't for the currently still high price for fuel cell technology and the incomplete gas station infrastructure, everything would speak for such a car. Because at the moment there are only 42 stations nationwide, 33 should follow this year. That's not much, but the range of 666 kilometers makes it impossible to get stuck in Germany. But the infrastructure network is developing, not only in Germany, but also abroad.

Hyundai Nexo with 163 hp

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Driving in the Nexo is no different from other electric cars - it is just as silent. The electric motor in the Nexo provides 163 hp, while the fuel cell has an output of 95 kW. On the go, the Nexo provides 395 Nm of torque and allows this SUV to accelerate to 100 km / h in just under ten seconds. The maximum speed of this 1.9 ton vehicle is a governed 179 km / h.

On board the Nexo you will of course find everything you know from other cars in terms of driver assistance systems. There is a lane change assistant as well as an emergency braking assistant, but it can also be parked in and out of a parking space automatically via radio remote control. So far, this has only been known from premium manufacturers such as BMW or Mercedes. But what you can do there, you can also do it at Hyundai. And much more, as the Nexo proves with its hydrogen drive.

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