From Guest Blogger Jordan Perch: Hyundai to Unveil a New Fuel-cell Powered Vehicle
Hyundai has been developing alternative-fuel vehicles for a long time, and has been offering several electric and hybrid models for a while now, which have made them one of the leaders in green vehicles. In recent years, they have been developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which are considered to be cleaner, more efficient, and have better range than other types of alternative vehicles. The South Korean car maker is the first company to start mass production of hydrogen-powered cars, with plans to introduce the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell car to the market in 2015.A couple of weeks ago, the company announced that it is planning to expand its range of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and will unveil a new concept vehicle at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
The Geneva International Motor Show will be held from March 6 through March 16, and Hyundai’s latest hydrogen-powered concept will have its world premiere there. It’s called Hyundai Intrado, a name which is borrowed from the underside of an airplane’s wing. In fact, the whole design of the car is inspired by aircrafts, with a body that has a nice aerodynamic shape, made from extremely lightweight materials, that are sure to provide good fuel efficiency and aerodynamic capabilities.
As far as the body style is concerned, it’s a compact crossover, with some lines on the rear end that make it look a bit like a coupe, and some pretty large wheels with bulky haunches on top of them. All this gives the car a very nice, sporty look, which is a good proof that alternative fuel vehicles can have an attractive and stylish design. This opinion is shared by Peter Schreyer, President & CDO of Hyundai Motor Group, who said in a press release: “Hyundai Intrado envisages a motoring future that encapsulates the efficiency and freedom associated with flying”, and added: “Intrado shows that future cars can be both relevant and exciting.”
In addition to the technique used for the car’s design, which is quite revolutionary, according to the company itself, there a few more innovations that are supposed to be implemented in this concept vehicle, such as the completely new hydrogen fuel-cell electric powertrain, which will include a smaller and lighter fuel cell stack, as compared to the ix35.
The Intrado is a joint effort by Hyundai’s European engineering and design teams that are based in the city of Russelsheim, Germany, and is inspired by the company’s “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0” philosophy, the latest design language created by Hyundai, which will also be employed on the 2015 Genesis.
However, even though the Intrado is a really good concept vehicle, and could be a base for an efficient, high-performing hydrogen-powered car in the future, it’s not very likely that it will go into production anytime soon, but it can give us a pretty good idea of the direction Hyundai plans to take when it comes to fuel cell vehicles, especially in regards with design and drivetrain. At the moment, there are no details on Intrado’s performances and specifications, but the company has said that it will release more information before the Geneva Motor Show starts.
Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “green cars” specialist. He is a regular writer for DMV.com, a collaborative community for US drivers.
