The first assembly line-produced Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles have been delivered to the City of Copenhagen in Denmark.
The zero-emission SUVs became the first hydrogen-powered vehicles manufactured on a production line to be introduced to Europe.
The 15 Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell cars were handed over by Hyundai Motor Europe during the opening of the Scandinavian country’s first hydrogen refuelling station.
The ix35 Fuel Cells will join Copenhagen’s municipal fleet as the city seeks to reach its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2025.
Hyundai Motor Europe president Byung Kwon Rhim said the ix35 Fuel Cells were evidence the South Korean manufacturer was committed to hydrogen as the fuel of the future for Europe.
“Delivering assembly-line produced ix35 Fuel Cell is evidence that we have a realistic solution to the region’s sustainable mobility needs,” he said.
Powered by a 100kW electric motor, the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 12.5 seconds and has a top speed of 160km/h.
Two hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 5.64kg are positioned between the vehicle’s rear axle, enabling the ix35 Fuel Cell to travel up to 594km before requiring a refuel, which takes only a couple of minutes, similar to filling a petrol tank.
The delivery of its first assembly line-produced fuel cell vehicles is the pinnacle of Hyundai’s work on hydrogen technology, which first began in 1998.
Hyundai says it plans to produce 1000 ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles at its Ulsan factory in Korea by 2015.
