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Hydrogen-powered cars on the rise, thanks to Hyundai

With the emphasis on low carbon emissions stronger than ever, Hyundai have announced they are working on 1,000 hydrogen-powered cars to be released by 2015. The cars will initially be available for lease and later will be on sale to a consumer market. The initial thousand may act as an opportunity for the company to iron out any flaws in the design once tested en masse.

Reducing carbon emissions

Hyundai’s decision to produce a thousand of these vehicles appears to be a response to external pressures on the car manufacturing industry to reduce their environmental impact. A reduction in carbon emissions has become a key priority for corporates and industries across the world, and the creation of this headline-grabbing vehicle is a natural move for Hyundai to make. That’s not to say it’s a cheap one: the company will be selling these cars at cost price to ensure businesses and consumers alike can afford to invest.

Buying at cost-price, but how much long-term?

One of the key criticisms of hydrogen-powered cars has always been with regards to the initial outlay for the vehicles. Keeping cost as low as possible will surely guarantee sales and media attention, so how much is the car going to cost us in the long-run? According to Hyundai, the hydrogen-powered ix35 should only cost the same as any other car, so its looking good so far.

Wonder-material graphene used to reduce price of fuel cells

Another mention for the ‘pro’ column is the huge reduction in fuel cell costs in recent years. Once made with one of the most decadent of materials, platinum, the precious metal is now steadily being replaced. A material called graphene – famous for its potential to increase internet speeds by 100 times – is now frequently used driving prices down. This replacement means using hydrogen fuel cells are looking like a viable option once again.

So, what’s the catch?

Given that the hydrogen-powered ix35 shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg upfront and the overall running costs are supposed to be low, we’re beginning to wonder why everyone hasn’t got one of these on order yet… I’d happily drive one way today on the way to my local hydrogen-refueling station. Ah, now there’s a snag: there is no local hydrogen-refueling station. Whilst the University of Birmingham were one of the pioneers in this area, this is the only one in the West Midlands, and in fact only one of twelve in England. UKH2Mobility are planning for more with an aim of 1,150 by 2030 – might be best to leave it another 15 years then…

When can I get my hands on one?

So, if you’ve established that you do happen to live near one of the few hydrogen filling stations in the country, then you might still be considering purchasing one. That’s fine with us, we reckon you’ll probably be our best vehicle hire customer once you’ve bought one: any trips away you need to take will need to be planned around where the nearest hydrogen refueling station is. Not sure how your boss will respond to that when asked to travel for work…

In all seriousness though, it is believed that the first cars available won’t be going to consumers. We’ve heard that the London Hydrogen Network Expansion (or LHNE if you can’t manage that mouthful!) has first dibs, presumably to be used for research and demonstration purposes. After that, it’s imagined corporates with a responsibility to reduce their carbon emissions will be the next easy target. And for the rest of us? Looks like we’ll be waiting ‘til 2015 – maybe there’ll be at least 15 hydrogen-refueling stations by then!