Hyundai Turns The Tables With Next Gen 500 Mile Range Fuel Cell Electric SUV

Yay! A fuel-cell vehicle without any infrastructure to make it viable.

And to add, you need for 2x the electricity to convert ambient hydrogen into fuel form as compared to getting the same driving distance out of a pure battery-powered EV.

It's just a plain dumb move: We'll use twice the electricity per mile, but hey, you get more range. Ignore the fact that we get 2/3 of our nation's electricity from burning stuff, including garbage and loads of coal. Yay, "clean" hydrogen :-(

Agree, waste of time and resources to focus on hydrogen at this point.

But right now - The Steve - it is still far more efficient than an ICE engine - produces no pollution (Water) - and there is still NO EV that can go 500 miles on a fill up - and ten minutes later - after another fill up - do another 500 miles. AND - I doubt that this will be possible in an EV in my lifetime - or yours.

IF we only compare a Fuel cell to EVS that simply still do not exist yet- then neither are the real answer. If we compare fuel cells to the most common alternative - ICE - then the Fuel Cell becomes a contender.

ALso- add in - that the 2x the energy requirement is if you use Electrolysis to make the Hydrogen - today most Hydrogen is produced through Methane reforming - BUT - Stanford and others are working with ways to produce Hydrogen more efficiently using new Catalysts - which may actually be better than Batteries.

TomM wrote “[it] produces no pollution” – That’s what EV fans love to believe about EVs and fuel cell vehicles! They’re “zero emissions.” 100% pollution-free transportation… providing we ignore *everything* other than the at-vehicle emissions when we talk “pollution.”

As much as “we’re getting better all the time,” the science programs I’ve been seeing – where scientists and physicists run the show rather than marketing or political folks – they’re saying that according to known science, we’re “nowhere near” to making hydrogen a genuinely clean and viable mass-transportation fuel source, and as far as the scientists know, there is no technology “as far as we can see” in our future to change that. So essentially, we’re waiting for a complete breakthrough to change today’s realities.

I’m still waiting for “electricity that’s too cheap to meter” that was promised to us by the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) in the 1940s.

No - THESTEVE - I was commenting directly on YOUR post that said that the Hydrogen Fuel cell was not worth the effort because of a false comparison with EVs. WE already know that there are efforts ongoing to make the production of Hydrogen less expensive - and YOU were using the OLD Electrolysis conversion - which has already been superceded in most instances(Methane reforming is now in full production - it is current technology) - is simply not a true comparison (And that was YOUR post). SO - we are already using a method of producing Hydrogen that is more efficient. AND no - we are not waiting for a Complete Breakthrough - EVS are the ones that will need that to produce batteries that can be charged in a few Minutes - something that not only is NOT on the Horizon - but the production of Batteries is NOT something that is in any way any Safer for the environment either.

Those who favor EVS seem to believe that the basic problems of using and charging batteries are going to "go away" like magic. SO they make assumptions against other technology as if these problems do not exist. But they do - and they will - and overcoming the inability to charge a battery in Urban environments is not something that will be EASY or Quick. It will require Infrastructure far greater than the gas stations we currently have. And this is going to cost BIG dollars too. WHile the SUburban home owner may have the ability to install a charging station in his garage - the URBAN duplex renter - with no driveway and no garage has NO SUCH OPTION - they do not even own the parking space in front of the house on the street so street charging is not going to work. It is not always the most efficient system that works - it might be the one that can overcome the most problems easily that does.

If you were really waiting for electricity that's "too cheap to meter" - which clearly was an exaggeration EVEN THEN - the promises of EVS are still in the distant future as well - and they are NOT a real equivalent replacement for ICE engine cars.

I forgot another EV problem - and even in Suburbia - the problem is - MULTIPLE drivers. THere are plenty of drivers in NJ who live in Tom's RIver - who drive 180 miles a day back and forth to work - so for the 200 -300 mile battery - that means a charge every night. Now add in a Spouse working - and needing a charge - and don't forget the kids driving to college in Princeton. Even if they have 3 phase electricity to charge enough overnight (ANd very few NJ houses have 3 phases 220 volt - regular 220 volts is more expensive) they might need 3 or 4 charging stations at the house. THAT is not going to be compatible with the current cabling systems for home areas. AND - where are we going to get all that additional electricity as well? It is likely to come from Natural gas and Fracking - more than renewable sources - which work better in less populated more open areas.

The fact is THERE IS NO Technology currently out there that makes EVs a complete replacement for ICE vehicles. BUT - Hydrogen Vehicles do not have to be more efficient than EVS - they only have to be a better option than ICE engines.

EVs still have a long way to go before they can readily replace ICE cars - and Hydrogen cars do not inherently have the same limitations that EVs have.

Very true. But Toyota has said in the past BEV's were only the stepping stone to hydrogen / Fuel Cell powered cars. A way to go for both technologies still.

I like the smug Lexus-inspired sh*t-eating grin front end.