FRANKFURT: Two hydrogen pioneers have taken real-world zero-emission motoring to a new level by driving a Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) 2,383km in 24 hours.
Sports scientist Arnt-Gøran Hartvig and Physics student Marius Bornstein travelled around the clock on public roads in Germany.
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 around three minutes, enabling the drivers to maximise the distance covered.
Hartvig and Bornstein's success was fully captured on GoPro cameras, and can be viewed in the clip below.
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 refueling station are capable of today. The result is stunning,” stated the team after accomplishing their journey.
This accomplishment by the two eco-pioneers is the latest in a series of challenges to showcase the potential of fuel cell technology. In June last year the duo chose the ix35 Fuel Cell to travel a record 700km 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."
Hyundai Motor is the world's first automotive manufacturer to mass-produce fuel cell vehicles and make them commercially available. The ix35 Fuel Cell is the most affordable fuel cell vehicle in Europe and is already on sale and on the roads in 11 European countries.
The ix35 Fuel Cell is fitted with a 134hp electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 160kph. It produces no harmful emissions - only water vapour comes from the tailpipe - and has an official driving range of almost 600km on one tank of hydrogen.
