Introduced nearly a century ago, electric cars today are enjoying a slow but sure surge in popularity. Depleting fossil fuel reserves and the growing awareness for nature are prompting people to choose the non-polluting electric option. From hybrid to all-electric, the demand for electric cars will continue to climb as prices drop and top automotive companies compete to launch a range of new cars that are appealing in terms of cost, performance and features.
Most of the mainstream manufacturers are either already selling their version of the electric car or are busy working away at the drawing board. Herein, the South Korean automobile giant, Hyundai, has just unveiled its next generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEV), that will likely be up for sale next year. The company is betting hard on hydrogen and proclaims it to be an eventual replacement for today’s diesel and petrol based combustion engine powered models.
Few other prominent automotive companies have announced their next big electric vehicle launches, including Tesla’s Model 3, Jaguar’s all electric I Pace, Volkswagen’s e-UP, Faraday Future FF 91, etc. Many of these will be available for purchase this year.
Sustainable technologies : Hyundai’s future secure strategy
The fourth-generation Hyundai fuel cell will address four key areas of FCEV technology; performance, durability, fuel cell system efficiency and tank storage density. Along with the advanced fuel cell technology, the new groundbreaking model will also feature a slew of driver assistance technologies that will be disclosed later by the company.
Hyundai’s new yet-to-be-named SUV has a fuel efficiency level which is 9% over the Tucson, the company’s other popular high-end SUV. Whereas, the performance level (maximum output) has been ramped up by 20% when compared to its predecessor.
The next generation FCEV also has superior durability when compared to the current generation, thanks to extremely durable catalyst technology. Additionally, the new version utilizes three tanks, all identically sized and made of advanced plastics to trim-down its thickness instead of the usual, two differently-sized tanks as seen in the current Hyundai FCEVs.
This latest addition to Hyundai’s global lineup of popular automobiles will be completely revealed next year in Korea, followed immediately with the reveal in North America and the European markets. Also, the advanced fuel cell technology will be appended with some driver assistance technologies, details of which will be revealed in January at the 2018 CES, together with the official name for the new SUV model.
As automotive companies try to combine electric propulsion with autonomous drivability, the face of road transportation is set to change forever. The market is set to heat up intensely and almost all auto manufacturers will be compelled to put forth their own take on the aforementioned auto configuration. Timely and concise market insights will help automakers chalk out a more targeted and impactful marketing strategy.
