Hyundai has recommitted itself to a hydrogen-fuelled future by showing off the Initium concept car, a H2-powered SUV.
As if to hammer home the point, the Initium was revealed at an event called ‘Clearly Committed’ held at Hyundai’s Motorstudio in Goyang, South Korea. While interest in hydrogen power for passenger cars has waned in the past few years, more recently it has had something of a resurrection thanks to the likes of Toyota, Renault, BMW and - of course - Hyundai.
Latin style
According to Hyundai, the Initium — the Latin for ‘beginning’ or ‘first’ — previews the replacement for the Hyundai Nexo, currently one of the very few hydrogen fuel cell cars in production. The Initium concept also gives us a peep at Hyundai’s new design language, called ‘Art of Steel’, which on this car at least seems to be a mash-up of cues from the current Santa Fe and the Pony concept car.
The Initium also previews a major step forward in hydrogen car performance compared to the current Nexo. Hyundai says that it has outfitted the Initium with bigger hydrogen tanks, and thanks to those allied to improved aerodynamics, the Initium has a range of up to 650km on one fill of hydrogen. Crucially - and the big potential advantage that hydrogen cars hold over battery-electric models - refuelling takes only a few minutes.
More power
The improved power output of the fuel cell (which chemically combines hydrogen from the tanks with oxygen from the outside air to create both an electric current and water, which is the only by-product) has allowed Hyundai to fit a more powerful 150kW (204hp) electric motor too.
Inside, the Initium gets a roomy cabin with reclining rear seats for extra comfort. The rear doors are also designed to open at a wide angle, making it easier to get in and out.
Hydrogen navigation
Up front, the sat-nav has been programmed to help you navigate between hydrogen fuelling stations (good luck trying that in Ireland - there aren’t any…) and the fuel cell has a 220-volt external socket so that it can act as your own personal power station, powering other items including your house.
At the unveiling, SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design, said: “Our challenge began from the manufacturing stage, where we pushed the formability of steel to the extreme to create a form of art," Lee said. “With Initium we’ve crafted a more SUV-like design that is both solid and safe, reflecting our dedication to our customers through 'customer-centric design’.”
Energy source for everyone
Meanwhile, Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai, was re-confirming Hyundai’s vision for a hydrogen-powered future, saying: “Hyundai Motor’s clear, unwavering commitment to hydrogen over the past 27 years is rooted in our belief in its potential as a clean, accessible and therefore fair energy source for everyone. We are dedicated to pioneering a future where hydrogen is used by everyone, in everything, and everywhere. We invite you to join us on this journey.”
The production version of the Initium will be shown in early 2025. In the meantime, Hyundai hasn’t given up on electric cars, and has announced a few details about the new Ioniq 9 electric SUV. This will be Hyundai’s largest electric car, and judging from the single, darkened image shown so far, it will stick pretty closely to the shape of the Concept 7 concept car. It’ll be based on the same E-GMP platform as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 and will have seats for seven.
We’ll find out more at the world premiere in November.