Fuel cell vehicle breaks record
Two hydrogen pioneers have taken real-world zero-emission motoring to a new level by driving a Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell 2,383 kilometres in 24 hours. Arnt-Gøran Hartvig and Marius Bornstein travelled around the clock on public roads in Germany, emitting nothing but water vapour from the ground-breaking fuel cell electric vehicle.
To achieve this impressive distance, the two Norwegians covered the +300-kilometre route between Vatenfall’s hydrogen station in HafenCity, Hamburg and a Shell hydrogen station in Sachsendamm, Berlin as many times as possible in 24 hours. Refuelling the car takes as little as three minutes, enabling the drivers to maximise the distance covered.
Their route included city driving as well as high-speed roads, demonstrating the suitability of the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell for everyday use in all situations. ‘We wanted to see what the combination of a state of art fuel cell electric vehicle and hydrogen refuelling station are capable of today. The result is stunning,’ the pair said, after accomplishing their journey.
This accomplishment by the two eco-pioneers is the latest in a series of epic challenges to showcase the potential of fuel cell technology. In June last year the duo chose the ix35 Fuel Cell to travel a record 700 kilometres on one tank of hydrogen. They have also driven from Oslo to Monaco, refuelling only at the hydrogen stations already installed along the 2,260-kilometre route.
Thomas A. Schmid, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, ‘This endurance drive highlights both the practicality of our fuel cell electric vehicle’s long driving range and the environmental credentials of our technology. Our Fuel Cell programme has already delivered many world firsts, so it is fitting that the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell has once again delivered a new benchmark.’
