Moving beyond fossil fuel – Hyundai tests its Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV)
in Europe
Offenbach, July 12, 2006 – Hyundai Motor Company yesterday completed the first European road tests of its 2nd generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV). The program, which was implemented in cooperation with Linde Gas company as part of Hyundai’s World Cup 2006 activities, involved two Tucson FCEV SUVs and an FCEV bus. It specifically aimed at providing real-conditions / regular-drivers results in a typically European environment.
The FCEV bus was tested in daily commuter traffic in Munich during the entire four weeks of the World Cup tournament. During this time it transported approximately 3,000 people without producing any emissions, other than pure water, and without the disturbing noise level of conventional buses.
The Tucson FCEVs were driven in a series of 12 test drives in the German cities of Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hildesheim, Leipzig and Munich. The test drives in Germany resulted in a total mileage of approximately 1,000 km per vehicle. More than 50 journalists and various VIP guests participated, among others also Ms. Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir, the reigning Miss World. Introduced in 2005, the Tucson FCEV is Hyundai’s primary 2nd generation FCEV testing vehicle. It features zero emissions, a low noise level plus roomy passenger space and the same cargo capacity as a standard gasoline-powered Tucson. Built with lightweight, performance-boosting aluminum body components, this FCEV has a power-to-weight ratio comparable to that of a conventional SUV.
The Tucson FCEV is currently undergoing extensive fleet testing in California and Korea. The tests in Europe provided valuable information to the engineers of Hyundai’s Advanced Technology Center in Mabuk, Korea, as Dr. Sae Hoon Kim, a senior Fuel Cell Vehicle engineer, points out: “We tested the vehicles in day-to-day traffic for two weeks and we found that our 2nd generation vehicles are very reliable under regular European road and traffic conditions. This means that we are on track and that we’ve already come very close to developing the vehicles that are suitable for mass sales in a few years.”
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Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH (HME) was established in 2000. Located in Rüsselsheim, Germany, it coordinates all marketing, sales and aftersales activities in all of Hyundai’s 26 European markets. It employs nearly 100 people of various nationalities. Hyundai is the third largest Asian automobile brand in Europe, with an annual European sales volume of approximately 350,000 vehicles. More information on Hyundai Motor Europe is available in the internet at http://www.hyundai-motor-europe.com.
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