Rare Hyundai Tucson an easy cell
2015 Hyundai Tucson FCEV
Quiet, reasonably quick, roomy, doesn’t use any gasoline or diesel, doesn’t need a wall socket, and it’s emission-free. That’s the Hyundai Tucson FCEV, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle available to the public in Canada.
The problem is, this special little Tucson is only available in Vancouver right now and, as you might expect, in limited numbers. And they can only be leased.
I get to drive it as one of my test vehicles in the annual Automobile Journalists of Canada Eco-Run, which was started and ended in Vancouver for 2015.
Outwardly, there’s little to distinguish the fuel cell Tucson from the regular vehicle except for a slightly different fuel-filler and the addition of fuel cell badging.
Inside, the furnishings are typically high-quality Hyundai with seating for five, but comfort for four, just like all small “five-passenger” units. The hydrogen tank under the cargo floor doesn’t compromise the Tucson’s hauling capacity. There’s 675L of space behind the second row which increases to 1,524L with the second row folded.
People space up front features good leg room and decent head room. The rear passengers can find leg room a bit constrained if the front passengers are tall.
In terms of creature comforts, I find seat warmers for the front passengers, but no heated steering wheel. Driver assist features include a navigation system and Bluetooth connectivity. The two-dial gauge cluster features speedometer on the right along with fuel gauge and transmission gear indicator. On the left is the “Blue Drive” information, such as charge and power levels, along with temperature gauge. One thing I miss is cruise control. The view under the hood is a bit different, too. There’s still an “engine” cover — this one reads “Tucson Fuel Cell” — but there are a number of orange high-energy wires plugged into the rear of the motor.
On the road, the overwhelming impression is one of silence. With no cylinders banging away up front and no exhaust growling away out back, the Tucson is eerily quiet. If not for the tires’ sound on wet pavement, I doubt much noise would have penetrated the interior.
The power is generated by a hydrogen fuel cell stack with a 100 kW electric motor that generates 134 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. It doesn’t sound like much, but the power comes on quickly, giving the Tucson good acceleration off the line and in passing situations. Shifting by the gear differential unit is for the most part unnoticeable.
There is no drama involved in propelling the Tucson along the streets and highways. The MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion axle rear setup provide a ride that’s firm, but far from harsh.
Fuel consumption is rated in the technical data as 29.7 L/100 km city, 27.2 on the highway, but the vehicle’s estimated range on 5.64 kg (144L) of hydrogen is 420 km. In terms of Canada’s more conventional L/100 km ratings, the Tucson FCEV has an equivalent rating of 4.8 Le/100 km in the city, and 4.6 Le/100 km highway.
Cost of the technology has been reduced by about 40% over the past decade or so, but fuel cells are still expensive, partly because they need platinum for their proton-exchange membranes. The fuel cell makes electricity from a reaction between hydrogen and air. Hydrogen stored in high pressure tanks (700 bar) passes through a membrane that strips away electrons to produce electricity to propel a motor. Water crated by hydrogen and oxygen combining on the other side of the membrane is passed through the tailpipe.
There is no combustion of hydrogen, and the fuel stack has no moving parts. And it takes just five minutes to refuel.
Hyundai Canada public relations manager Chad Heard says two hydrogen Hyundais are currently being leased in Vancouver and there are another five on their way from Korea.
The 36-month lease cost $599 a month and includes maintenance and unlimited hydrogen refuelling. FCEV owners will have a free valet program under which the dealer will pick up the vehicle and provide a loaner hybrid vehicle until the service is complete and the FCEV returned home.