Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell for Canada
Canadians residing in the vicinity of Vancouver B.C. will have the opportunity to ‘own’ a fuel cell-powered electric vehicle. Beginning 2015, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp will be making the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) available to people in that region on a three-year lease programme.
Based on the same platform as the regular Tucson that we also get in Malaysia, the Tucson Fuel Cell has a maximum cruising range of 426km and requires a mere five minutes to replenish its supply of hydrogen, making it a viable day-to-day transport solution. In comparison, the recently-unveiled Toyota Mirai has a cruising range of 500km with refueling time of three minutes; Honda’s FCEV concept has similar cruising range and refueling time as well.
The Tucson Fuel Cell is front-wheel driven, generating 134hp and 300Nm of outputs – comparable to modern 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines. It is a heavy vehicle, however, with a kerb weight of 1,860kg, which perhaps explains its leisurely top speed of 160kph and 0-100kph time of 12.5 seconds. For comparison’s sake, the current Nu engine-powered Tucson 2.0 FWD of our market tips the scales at only 1,466kg. Interestingly, the regular Tucson’s multi-link rear suspension is switched for a torsion beam here, presumably to accommodate additional components required for the vehicle’s fuel cell system.
Hyundai Canada’s programme for the Tucson Fuel Cell offers selected customers the opportunity to lease the vehicle at $599 per month over a three year term. The lease includes maintenance and unlimited hydrogen refueling. In addition, a complimentary valet service is also offered whereby the nearest Hyundai dealer will pick the vehicle up for servicing, leave behind a courtesy car, and subsequently return the vehicle at no extra charge.
The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell is currently available to customers in a number of countries around the world, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Netherland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and South Korea.
Picture: Official Hyundai release.
