Hyundai NEXO fuel cell SUV can do Manila-Sorsogon in a single charge

Unveiled at CES 2018, the next-generation fuel cell vehicle NEXO is now set to be released in South Korea next month. This fuel cell-powered car is integrated with new features and level 4 autonomous driving technology, making it the world’s first self-driven fuel cell electric vehicle.

Stepping up the game, this zero-emission, hydrogen-powered vehicle can travel up to 609 kilometers. With that said, you can theoretically go with your friends from Manila to Sorsogon in a single charge, with less than 5 minutes of charging time.

The all-new NEXO has a style and size of an SUV. Its headlamps are connected by a thin line and its cascading grille has widened for more air intake. It also comes with triangular fog lights and full LED daytime running lights, which adds up to electric car’s elegant appeal. NEXO is also the first Hyundai vehicle with flush door handles, which retracts automatically when the car decelerates to 3 km/h.

Moving inside, it has black dashboard that houses two large LCD displays. The left side is for digital instrument cluster that shows speed, fuel, and driving efficiency, while the right side is for the new split-screen function and home screen that display the navigation, connectivity, and infotainment features.

NEXO adapted a shift-by-wire function, which can be activated by pushing a button. The physical buttons can also activate drive modes and change climate settings. The control knobs on the other hand, can access the navigation functions. It also comes with wireless charging and a USB port.

The electric car has three identical tanks with a volume of 52.2L of hydrogen per tank and can deliver a maximum output of 161 hp and 395 Nm of torque. When it comes to acceleration, it can speed up from 0 to 100 km/h within 9.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 179 km/h.

Hyundai loaded the NEXO with advanced driving assistance and safety systems. It’s assimilated with Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM) that uses wide angle surround view monitors (SVM), which shows drivers the rear and side views while changing lanes. Debuting in the green car is the Lane Following Assist (LFA) that keeps the vehicle centered in the lane of travel. 

Don’t be amazed yet as NEXO is also integrated with the latest Hyundai SmartSense™ active safety and driving assistance features such as Forward Collision Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection, Lane Keeping Assist (standard), High Beam Assist with Static Low Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning (standard), Blind-Spot Collision Warning, and an optional Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Establishing the brand’s name in eco-vehicle segment, a fleet of Hyundai vehicles next-generation fuel cell electric vehicles accomplished a self-driven 190 kilometers journey from Seoul to PyeongChang. It’s a world-first that Level 4 autonomous driving had been completed with fuel cell electric cars. It’s also a great exposure for the Korean brand as it aims to introduce 38 eco-vehicles globally by 2025.