05/11/2024
Australia has launched its first hydrogen-powered car, the Hyundai Nexo, marking a significant milestone in sustainable transportation. This groundbreaking vehicle not only boasts impressive autonomy—covering 900 kilometers on a single tank—but also features an ultra-fast refueling time of just five minutes. What sets the Nexo apart is its ability to purify the air as it drives, a novel application of hydrogen fuel cell technology in a commercial car, which had never before been applied at this scale.
The Hyundai Nexo is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell system that generates electricity by passing hydrogen gas through a membrane where it reacts with oxygen from the surrounding air. This process powers an electric motor, and any excess energy, including that captured during braking, is stored in a lithium-ion battery. With each full charge, the Nexo consumes 6.27 kilograms of hydrogen, during which it purifies 449,100 liters of air—the equivalent of what 33 people breathe in a single day. The only emission produced by the Nexo is water v***r, making it a zero-emissions vehicle.
In comparison, a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle would emit approximately 126 kilograms of CO2 over the same 900-kilometer journey, highlighting the significant environmental advantage of hydrogen fuel cell technology. With the Hyundai Nexo, Australia becomes a leader in the transition to sustainable mobility, creating the infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles with the installation of the country’s first hydrogen refueling stations.
Hyundai has achieved a world-first by mass-producing a hydrogen fuel cell car, setting a new benchmark in sustainability and innovation. The Nexo’s entry into the market not only demonstrates the feasibility of hydrogen as a clean fuel but also positions it as a strong competitor to electric vehicles, offering an alternative path toward reducing the automotive industry’s carbon footprint. As more nations adopt similar technologies, the Nexo’s arrival signals a broader shift toward hydrogen-powered vehicles as part of a global effort to combat climate change and foster cleaner, greener cities.
