Hyundai has announced the pricing for its new zero-emission hydrogen-powered ix35, the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric vehicle.
Prices start from £53,105 with part-funding from the HyFive project – saving customers nearly £15,000 off the un-funded on-the-road-price of £67,985.
Between now and 2015, Hyundai has committed to produce a total of 1,000 ix35 fuel cell vehicles to be available across the globe – many in Europe – where they will take part in similar trials as a sustainable Hydrogen Road Map is established. It is the intention that five vehicles will soon be tested on the streets of London, with more planned for delivery before the end of the year.
The Hyundai ix35 has been sold through central Hyundai channels to selected trial partners since 2013 and is already on the road in 15 countries around the world.
There are only subtle differences in design from the petrol and diesel versions of the SUV including blue-tinged badging, changes to the grille design and the lack of an exhaust pipe.
The ix35 fuel cell is equipped with a 100kW (136ps) electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 100mph while the 0-62mph sprint is covered in 12.5 seconds. Two hydrogen storage tanks, with a total capacity of 5.64kg, enable the car to travel up to 369 miles on a single fill, and the energy is stored in a 24kWh lithium-ion battery jointly developed with LG Chemical.
This is the fourth-generation fuel-cell powered electric vehicle from Hyundai and it delivers significant improvements over its predecessor, including a driving range that has been extended by more than 50 percent while still producing zero tailpipe emissions, and fuel efficiency gains of more than 15 percent.
Currently zero emissions means only a five percent BIK tax for the 2015/16 tax year, increasing to seven percent from April 1, it is yet to be confirmed if the ix35 will be eligible for the plug in car grant.
