And Hyundai plays its ace: the first hydrogen car model ‘lands’ on the market

The journey time was calculated at 13 hours and 6 minutes, at an average speed of 66.9 km/h.

During the journey, the Nexo consumed a total of 6.27 kg of hydrogen, equal to 0.706 kg/100 km. According to the carmaker, it purified 449,100 litres of air along the way – enough for 33 adults to breathe for a whole day – since its exhaust emitted only water in the form of vapour and droplets throughout the journey.

There were therefore no CO2 emissions from the exhaust at all. By contrast, a vehicle with an internal combustion engine would have emitted about 126 kg of CO2 over the same distance.

Just over two years later, on the strength of these truly encouraging tests, the announcement so long awaited by consumers (and by the market) has finally arrived. Starting from Australia, Hyundai is now able to market the first hydrogen car, complete with stations for refuelling in just 5 minutes. Naturally, it is the Nexo.

This is an absolute first. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is being fitted as standard to a car that can be bought at the dealership, offering the remarkable range mentioned above and very short refuelling times.

With the aforementioned 6.27 kilograms of hydrogen purifying 449,100 litres of air along the way, and the complete absence of CO2 or other polluting emissions, the hydrogen engine enters the car market in its own right, with the aim (for the moment) of standing alongside the electric one among the sustainable mobility solutions demanded by the now unavoidable ecological transition.