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March 28, 2024

Hyundai’s new fuel-cell SUV to debut next year

PUBLISHED : August 17, 2017 - 17:31

UPDATED : August 17, 2017 - 17:44

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest carmaker, revealed a new hydrogen fuel cell SUV on Aug. 17, with plans to launch the car into the market early next year.

Hyundai offered a first glimpse of its near-production version of the FCEV at an unveiling event in Seoul, in an attempt to promote the carmaker’s latest green car technology before the official debut. 

The carmaker plans to start manufacturing the next-generation FCEV in March, according to Ryu Chang-seung, Hyundai’s domestic marketing chief. It plans to sell the cars in Korea in the first quarter next year, followed by US and Europe, without elaborating the exact date for the latter markets. 




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The carmaker is also considering whether to introduce the mid-sized SUV in China, the world’s largest EV market. 

“For China, the exact date is undecided because Chinese government hasn’t come up with its policy for fuel cell vehicles,” Lee Ki-sang, Hyundai’s vice president in charge of eco-car powertrain division, told The Investor. “We will begin with running test operations in China first, before deciding on the exact market launch.”

Replacing Tucson FCEV that was launched in 2013, the second-generation FCEV -- only identified with a codename FE -- boasts a 580-kilometer driving range on one fill-up, an increase from 418 kilometers for the predecessor. The range of the new FCEV is expected to stretch up to 800 kilometers on European standards, according to the carmaker. 

Hyundai added the new SUV features its advanced driver assistance technologies, as well as new human-machine interface technology, which will be unveiled next year at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, along with the official name of the car. 

The final price tag of the new FCEV is still undecided. But it is expected to be lower than the first generation Tucson FCEV that is priced at around 85 million won (US$75,000). It will also be eligible to receive various government subsidies that range from 20 million won to 30 million won. 

To beef up sales of the FCEV, Hyundai said it will closely work with the government to install chargers across the country and increase awareness of the technology, which is still much unknown to the public. 

On the day, Hyundai announced a plan to expand its green car lineup to 31 models by 2020, up from 14 models currently. It aims to become No. 2 carmaker globally, after Toyota. The lineup includes 10 hybrid electric cars, 11 plug-in hybrids, eight pure EVs and 2 FCEVs. 

As part of its renewed goal, the carmaker said it would release an EV version of the Kona compact SUV in the first half of next year, with a range of up to 390 kilometers. It plans to launch the electric car for the carmaker’s luxury Genesis marque in 2021, as well as another long-range EV with a range of more than 500 kilometers after 2021. 

The company is also developing a dedicated EV platform, which will allow Hyundai and Kia to offer multiple long-range models in the future.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)

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