BC Business
Hyundai Tucson FCEV | BCBusinessHyundai Canada CEO Don Romano with the new Tucson.
The new zero-emission Hyundai Tucson FCEV will be available to a select group of Lower Mainland residents in early 2015
Hyundai Canada unveiled its new Tucson hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) today in Vancouver, along with an unusual leasing process. Interested customers will have to apply via a dedicated website (hyundaihydrogen.ca), and be willing to share their experiences with the car, both good and bad. Hyundai Canada CEO Don Romano stressed that government was not involved in the FCEV development and that Hyundai is not receiving any government credits or financial support. “We’re doing this,” Romano said at Wednesday’s event, “because it’s the right thing to do.”
Extensively tested in a variety of conditions, the Tucson can complete 420 kilometers on a single tank, and refuelling takes less than five minutes. Powertech, a subsidiary of BC Hydro, has teamed up with Hyundai and will operate the FCEV fuel station in Surrey. With no hydrogen combustion, the new FCEV stores hydrogen gas and draws air to the fuel stack, which has no moving parts. The oxygen and hydrogen in the fuel stack creates the electricity to power the vehicles’ electric motor and charge the onboard battery. “Water is the only thing that comes out of the tailpipe,” said Romano. A monthly lease rate of $599 along with a $3,600 deposit includes all fuel for three years, roadside assistance and free maintenance.