Hydrogen-powered car comes to Australia

Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane has unveiled Australia’s first hydrogen-powered car - the Hyundai SUV ix35 Fuel Cell - as well as the country’s first solar-powered hydrogen refuelling station. Macfarlane said the new vehicles “demonstrate the potential of hydrogen to fuel an environmentally sustainable transport option”.

The vehicle is powered by hydrogen from the fuel tank which is mixed with air and converted to electricity by a fuel cell stack; the electricity then powers the ix35 Fuel Cell’s electric motor. Macfarlane noted that hydrogen can be “produced from water using a variety of energy sources, including renewable energy”.

The vehicle is near silent, efficient and emissions-free, emitting nothing but water vapour from its exhaust pipe. It is also very safe, having passed the American NHTSA crash test, and has comparable range and performance to a standard petrol- or diesel-powered ix35.

Hyundai produced its first fuel cell vehicle in 1998 and began manufacturing the ix35 Fuel Cell in February 2013, making the company the first in the world to mass-produce a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO Charlie Kim explained, “Because of the way we build our ix35 Fuel Cells, Hyundai Australia has the ability to order these incredible cars in the same way as we order any new Hyundai cars.”

Hyundai has also installed Australia’s only fuel cell vehicle hydrogen refuelling station at its headquarters in Macquarie Park, Sydney. The company is currently using hydrogen provided by gas partner Coregas Australia but will soon be creating its own through the use of an electrolyser and by harnessing solar power.

“We see no reason why Australians should not enjoy the same environmental solutions as consumers in other markets,” said Kim.

Source