Hydrogen is the best electric vehicle alternative for Hyundai. Initium is a new model and already has a launch date.

Apart from the fact that Hyundai is clearly betting on electric mobility, whose Ioniq family has left us with some of the most impressive cars to date, the Korean company has alternative plans for zero-emission mobility.

We said earlier this year that Hyundai was working on a plan that goes beyond bringing hydrogen-powered cars to market. The company’s idea is to implement a comprehensive strategy.

Hydrogen is expensive to produce and transport. Therefore, the Korean company’s intention is to enter the business by producing and offering it themselves. At the first stage, he is developing polymer membrane electrolysers (PEMs).

But, besides the above, if hydrogen wants to be viable You need cars on the market that sell their benefits. For many years the offer was practically limited to two models. The Toyota Mirai failed to succeed, and in the United States its owners sued the company, accusing it of misleading advertising.

The second model is Hyundai Nexo. An SUV that advanced the company’s plans, which they assured will permeate its entire offering in 2021. They then suggested that by 2028 their entire line would have a fuel cell alternative.

Halfway through this project, we never heard from him again. But now Hyundai has unveiled a prototype that is very close to the production version. This is the Hyundai Initium.

Replaces Hyundai Nexo

Until now, the Hyundai Nexo was only offered by the Korean company. Now it will also have the Hyundai Initium, a fuel cell car that the Koreans promise to release in the first half of next year.

The car, although still a prototype, It seems to be very close to the final model.. The company has confirmed that they are expecting a range of 650 kilometers, slightly higher than the Hyundai Nexo, and that it will have a 150 kW (205 hp) electric motor.

Hyundai also expects the vehicle to have vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. That is, it can act as a battery on its own and power appliances and other electrical devices in the home when needed.

What the company does not disclose is the size of the deposits it will use to store hydrogen. This is one of the main problems because they need to be too large in size to provide enough performance to cover hundreds of kilometers. The best thing about technology, on the other hand, is that it recharges very quickly.

Hyundai also noted in its presentation that the new Initium will have a dedicated route planner. They note that the lack of service stations (there are practically none in Spain) is the main problem facing this technology. The scheduler will show the status of the service station and vehicles refueling with hydrogen at the moment.

Hyundai’s main challenge, which Toyota is also involved in, is to demonstrate that hydrogen has a future for small passenger cars. Hydrogen is extremely expensive to transport because in its gaseous state it is highly volatile and flammable. It is more stable in liquid form, but to be used in a fuel cell vehicle it must be brought to a temperature of -253°C and subsequently returned to a gaseous state.

For my part, Toyota is investigating Skip this last step. Part of his development is exploring the possibility of using liquid hydrogen to burn it in an internal combustion engine and produce an experience similar to that of a gasoline car.

In the latter case, NOx is released, one of the most harmful particles to humans. In its latest draft to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, the European Union has focused on banning engines that are not carbon neutral, opening the door to this way of working and refuel.

Photo | Hyundai

In Hatak | The race to produce hydrogen cars has an unexpected competitor: Morocco