Two eco-pioneers have taken real-world zero-emission motoring to a new level by driving a Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell 2,383 kilometres - 1481 miles - in 24 hours.
Arnt-Goran Hartvig (Sports Scientist) and Marius Bornstein (Master of Physics) travelled around the clock on public roads in Germany, emitting nothing but water vapour from the fuel cell electric vehicle. To achieve this distance, the two Norwegians covered the 300-plus 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, testing 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 ditto hydrogen refuelling station are capable of today. The result is stunning", stated the team after accomplishing their journey.
This accomplishment by the duo is the latest in a series of challenges to showcase the potential of fuel cell technology. In June last year the two 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.
The ix35 Fuel Cell is fitted with a 100 kW (136 ps) electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It produces no harmful emissions - only water vapour comes from the tailpipe - and has an official driving range of almost 600 kilometres on one tank of hydrogen.
Thomas 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."
Prices for the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle start from £53,105 OTR with part-funding from the HyFive project - saving customers nearly £15,000 off the un-funded on-the-road-price of £67,985.