Hyundai At It Again…Introduces the Hyundai Tucson FCV at the Chicago Auto Show

Hyundai has brought innovation and pace-setting technology to the forefront by introducing the Hyudai Tucson FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) at the on-going Chicago Auto Show.

Looking at the Tucson fuel cell vehicle, you wouldn't notice anything different from the standard-issue gasoline-powered version. Sharp eyes might notice the fuel cap is a bit larger. But that’s about it. The Tucson is proof that fuel celltechnology is no longer a science experiment. Yes, automakers have had working fuel cell vehicles for years, but either the range or the refinement wasn't there. Hyundai has largely conquered those problems.

In an automotive fuel cell, power for the vehicle’s electric drive motor is generated by gaseous hydrogen entering the anode side of the fuel cell stack, while oxygen enters the cathode side. A chemical reaction splits the electrons and protons from the hydrogen. The electrons generate the electricity. The only byproduct is water vapor, no pollution. Each fuel cell in the Tucson’s stack generates 1 volt of electricity, so there are many cells in the Tucson’s electric motor, which is rated at 221 lb-ft of torque.

Acceleration is about equal to a 1.8-liter, nonturbo gasoline engine. The fuel cell Tucson is no rocket ship, but the electric motor generates more than enough verve to parry and thrust with the best of Chicago’s frenetic traffic.

All fuel cell vehicles have an assortment of pumps and compressors to move the hydrogen and oxygen through the system, but you don’t hear them in the Tucson.

Hyundai says the driving range on one tank of hydrogen is somewhere between 250 and 300 miles for most drivers. That solves at least some of the range problem. Most gasoline-powered cars go about the same distance between fill-ups.

The only problem now is that there are not enough hydrogen filling stations yet to make a fuel cell car practical, and of course, the price is another factor to consider.  Toyota already plans to launch the swoopy Mirai fuel cell vehicle this year, while Honda’s is scheduled for next year, and GM promises a fuel cell vehicle -- possibly using technology in the Chevrolet Bolt -- by 2020

But more important than that, the Tucson requires nothing special of the driver. The Tucson makes the transition from gasoline to hydrogen as seamless as possible. And that was one of the goals of the project, Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford, said at the Chicago Auto Show.

“We wanted the technology to be invisible. Want it to feel like any other car that anyone else drives. The only difference is where you fuel it.”

Hosford says Hyundai views fuel cell technology as a race in which the Korean automaker can compete and win against Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and other global manufacturers with deep engineering resources.

“Companies like General Motors and Mercedes have been building gasoline engines for a hundred years,” says Hosford. “They have a lot of institutional knowledge. They are really good at it. And our guys are really good at it, too. But that kind of an edge is really hard to jump over. But hydrogen is brand new.”

Culled from a report By Richard Truett at Automotive News

Photo credit: Hyundai