Hyundai NEXO Has The Longest Range Of Any FCV

Hyundai has revealed the NEXO will have the longest range of any fuel cell vehicle on the market.

Set to be launched in South Korea next month, the NEXO has a certified range of 609 km (378 miles) which bests rivals such as the Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai. Hyundai notes the range is comparable to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and says this “allows drivers to travel long distances without nervousness about range.”

While range isn’t as important in fuel cell vehicles, it’s nice to be able to travel long distances as the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is still in an its infancy in many places. In the United States, the Department of Energy estimated there would be around 50 retail refueling stations by the end of 2017. A majority of them are located in California and that’s why a number of automakers restrict fuel cell vehicles to the state.

In order to get the impressive range, the NEXO has been equipped with three storage tanks which each hold 52.2 liters (13.7 gallons) of hydrogen. Despite the large storage capacity, the vehicle can still be refueled in less than five minutes.

Power is provided by an electric motor that develops 163 PS (120 kW) and 395 Nm (291 lb-ft) of torque. It enables the crossover to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 9.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 179 km/h (111 mph).

The NEXO isn’t ideal for everyone but Hyundai says the model will spearhead their plans to accelerate the development of low emission vehicles. As part of this initiative, the Hyundai Motor Group will launch 38 eco-friendly vehicles by 2025.