Fuel cell vehicles still planned, despite EV boom

(Hyundai)

Hyundai could introduce a production fuel cell vehicle as early as 2012, according to reports.

Influential motoring blog Autoweek says that the Korean automaker plans to produce 10,000 units of the vehicle annually by 2015, starting slow in 2012 with between 500 and 1,000 units.

Hyundai hasn't confirmed details of the vehicles, although it has previously shown hydrogen concepts such as the ix35 Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle unveiled at Geneva this year.

At the time, Hyundai said that it had made several important innovations over its previous fuel cell concepts, the Tucson fuel cell EV.

Although hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been somewhat buried in the flurry of electric vehicles expected in the next 12 months, several automakers are still working on potential models.

Toyota plans to produce its first hydrogen-powered car within the next five years; the company unveiled the model earlier this year, priced at around $50,000 (€39,650).

Last month, fellow Japanese brand Honda said that it still believed that "in the long-term, fuel-cell electric vehicles will provide the ultimate mobility," promising that it would continue work on the FCX Clarity, its fuel-cell vehicle which is now available to some customers, albeit on a test basis.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100824/CARNEWS/100829953