The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell provides an
intriguing glimpse into a post-petroleum future. The question, of course, is
what we'll use for fuel in lieu of gasoline or diesel. In the case of the
Tucson Fuel Cell, the answer is hydrogen.
Engineers have long been
intrigued by hydrogen. It's the most plentiful element in the universe, and it
also burns clean; the only thing that comes out of the Tucson Fuel Cell's tail
pipe is water. The downside is that all those hydrogen atoms in the universe
are joined to other atoms in molecules (water, for example), so in order to
isolate pure hydrogen for use as fuel, it needs to be split from its molecular
companions. That requires energy, and the challenge is to ensure that renewable
sources are employed. Using electricity from, say, a coal-burning power plant
would defeat the environmental purpose.
But earth-friendly hydrogen
separation is certainly plausible, and that's why hydrogen-powered cars
continue to be hailed as a potential solution. What's cool about the Tucson Fuel Cell is that it's
more than just a science experiment. It's actually available to the general
public, at least in California. If you pass the screening process, including a
quiz about driving habits to determine if, for example, you're unlikely to run
out of fuel halfway to Phoenix, you can lease one for $499 a month for 3 years,
and the state of California sweetens the deal with a $5,000 rebate. Plus, get
this: Hyundai
even pays for all the hydrogen you use.
We were intrigued, so we
scheduled some seat time in a Tucson Fuel Cell to see if it's ready for prime
time. Not to spoil the ending, but the answer is a resounding yes. What remains
to be seen is whether we'll ever see enough hydrogen filling stations across
the country to make fuel-cell vehicles viable for the general public. In any
case, here are a few impressions from our quick spin.
It Drives Like an EV
EV stands for electric
vehicle, as you probably know, and the Tucson is indistinguishable from an EV
once you're on the road. An electric motor handles propulsion, so you get the
same golf-cart-smooth responsiveness on the road, with a healthy 221 lb-ft of
torque available from the moment you hit the accelerator. Around town, it even
feels peppy at times. At higher speeds, however, the Tucson Fuel Cell runs out of
steam, which is understandable given that the motor's only good for 134
horsepower and that the vehicle itself weighs more than two tons. We
encountered a few long, steep hills on Highway 73 in Orange County that
required constant full throttle just to gain a couple miles per hour. To the
Tucson's credit, though, it didn't actually lose speed going up those hills, so
we consider its performance adequate for real-world use.
According to Hyundai, the Tucson Fuel
Cell can travel up to 265 miles on a full hydrogen fill (see below), which is a
lot more range than any current EV aside from the Tesla Model S. Score one for
hydrogen power on this count.
It Refuels Like a Science-Fair Project
As an owner of a fuel-cell
vehicle, you have to be trained and certified to use each individual filling
station, and we can see why. We visited two hydrogen stations during our drive,
and each used a different interface and even had a different pump nozzle. The process
starts when you confirm that the station is online and enter your
station-specific PIN on a keypad, which activates the refueling session. There
are two available fill levels, with 700 bar representing a full fill and 350
bar representing a partial fill. Availability depends on the cooling status of
the station's hydrogen reservoir; if it's too hot, you might only get a 350-bar
fill.
A full 700-bar fill takes
about 5-7 minutes, and when you disconnect the nozzle afterward, it leaves a
frosty coating on the Tucson's nozzle receptor, evoking the time-traveling
DeLorean in "Back to the Future." It's a pretty cool process to
witness firsthand, and truth be told, it's not that intimidating once you
understand how everything works. The main issue we can see at this early stage
is the lack of standardization from pump to pump.
It's Ready for a Nationwide Refueling Network
The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel
Cell is a remarkably well-executed vehicle considering its deeply experimental
nature. If the government could snap its fingers and put a refueling
infrastructure in place across the country, the Tucson Fuel Cell would be ready
to hit dealerships from coast to coast. It drives like an EV except it has
exceptional range and the ability to refuel in a few minutes. If we can somehow
get those hydrogen filling stations built, the customers will come. Time will
tell whether fuel-cell vehicles will ever get that chance.
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