It’s
not the first time a car with no internal combustion “engine” won Wards Auto’s
prestigious 10 Best Engine award, but Hyundai’s
Tucson fuel cell vehicle
is the first hydrogen powered car to win in 21 years of the award.
The
Nissan Leaf won it in 2010, and this year BMW’s i3 also garnered the
recognition – by virtue in no small part of its range extending engine, said
Wards.
But
Wards said after weighing the choice, the Hyundai limited-availability
FCV was recognized.
Serious consideration was given to the meager infrastructure
for hydrogen refueling and the vehicle’s availability in California only. But Hyundai engineers have done
a stunning job packaging a fuel-cell stack under the hood to convert hydrogen
into electricity to turn the wheels with ease.
The
5-passenger Tucson
FCV is powerful, quiet and, in a good way, completely ordinary.
Pop the
hood, and the fuel-cell stack even looks like a combustion engine. It’s as if
this CUV was delivered from another galaxy by ingenious extraterrestrials who
know how to make an Earthling feel right at home behind the wheel.
As
emissions and fuel-economy regulations ramp up, every automaker likely will
develop fuel-cell vehicles. Hyundai
is ahead of the curve.
The
fuel cell vehicle also benefits in that it’s a crossover SUV. Hyundai has been extremely
bullish about the relative advantages of fuel cell cars, and has followed
Honda’s FCX Clarity to market.
The
vehicle’s $499 lease price plus taxes and fees with $2,999 down includes the
hydrogen and maintenance. Range is an estimated 265 miles.
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