The Hyundai Tucson fuel cell crossover was introduced in 2014 as the first mass produced fuel cell electric vehicle in the U.S. Having driven over 3 million miles on California roads and highways it is estimated that instead of emitting over 1,140 tons of CO2 emissions they have emitted only clean water vapor.

2017 Tucson Fuel Cell

The current Tucson Fuel Cell CUV has a number of advantages over some other alternative fuels. The energy-rich hydrogen fuel provides an estimated driving range of 265 miles between fill-ups, similar to many gasoline vehicles. The Tucson Fuel Cell can be refilled with hydrogen in less than five minutes, about the same time as a typical gasoline vehicle.  While it performs just as strongly as an internal combustion engine, its only emission is water. And it’s just as quiet as a standard electric vehicle while going farther on a single fuel fill-up versus a single electric full charge.

Although several major automakers have been pursuing hydrogen cars for years, the technology has not yet advanced to wide-scale commercial use, in part because of a lack of fueling infrastructure. Hyundai has not given up on hydrogen and is introducing an all-new fuel cell powered SUV to be named in January.

The new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has a range of about 360 miles per fill-up. It can go about a quarter farther than the previous hydrogen fuel cell model. The new version uses three identically sized tanks rather than the current two tanks while also increasing horsepower to 161 (up 27 hp), boosting the fuel cell’s efficiency to 60 percent (versus 55) and incorporating longer-lasting catalysts and hardier components that allow cold starts (an inherent weakness of fuel cells) down to minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Tucson Fuel Cell is one of the most futuristic vehicles on the road today and the new sport-utility vehicle will take it up another notch. It is to be one of 31 electric, hybrid or fuel cell models Hyundai and sister brand Kia plan to introduce globally by 2020.

Who Knew? -While they have also invested heavily in long range electric technology, Hyundai continues research to make fuel-cell technology more affordable and compact so it will fit into smaller vehicles. As Hyundai continues to offer eco-friendly vehicles we continue to provide genuine Hyundai parts and accessories at great prices through the online catalog at HyundaiPartsPeople.com.