CES: Hyundai dubs FCEV Nexo

HYUNDAI has announced at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that its second-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) will be dubbed Nexo, with the mid-size SUV set to include advanced driver-assist technologies.

Revealed in August last year, the hydrogen-powered Nexo replaces the ix35 Fuel Cell and becomes “the technological flagship of Hyundai’s growing eco-vehicle portfolio”, according to the South Korean car-maker.

As such, it features an industry-first Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM) that uses the digital instrument cluster to show the driver rear and side views of the Nexo while changing lanes in either direction.

Thanks to its wide-angle surround-view cameras on each side of the vehicle, the Nexo allows the driver to monitor areas that cannot be seen by a traditional rearview mirror.

While several Honda models offer a similar feature, dubbed LaneWatch, Hyundai's version is unique because it caters for both sides of the vehicle, as opposed to just the passenger side.

Furthermore, Lane Following Assist (LFA) makes its debut in a Hyundai model, with it capable of automatically adjusting steering inputs to keep the Nexo centred within its lane when travelling between zero and 145km/h on both highways and city streets.

When LFA is teamed with Highway Driving Assist (HDA), which employs sensors and map data to operate safely and autonomously alter speed in specific situations, drivers can travel long distances “with greater ease and improved safety”, according to Hyundai.

Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) enables the Nexo to automatically park or retrieve itself from a parking spot with or without a driver in the vehicle, making it similar in application to that of the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series.

When the driver presses a specific button, this system can also back the Nexo into a parking space by itself, meaning drivers of the vehicle can avoid troublesome parking situations.

As previously reported, Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) struck a deal with the ACT government to supply 20 examples of the Nexo as part of the Hornsdale Wind Farm project.

Deliveries of these vehicles are expected to commence early next year, while this initiative will also include the construction of a wind farm capable of powering up to 1000 FCEVs a year, opening the for private sales in the future.

Australia currently lacks hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, aside from one station based at HMCA headquarters in Macquarie Park, Sydney that was created for the single ix35 Fuel Cell imported Down Under.

Built on a dedicated vehicle architecture, the Nexo provides a claimed 800km of driving range on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), 216km more than its aforementioned predecessor.

Combined power and torque outputs jump from 100kW and 300Nm to 120kW and 394Nm respectively, enabling a quicker zero-to-100km/h acceleration time of 9.5 seconds, down 3.0s.

Significantly, the Nexo can handle extreme environments and it can start within 30 seconds after being exposed to overnight temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Similarly, it was able to cool itself well when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. Both have been issues for hydrogen-powered FCEVs in the past.

Measuring in at 4671mm long, 1859mm wide and 1631mm tall with a 2789mm wheelbase, the Nexo is 262mm longer, 38mm wider and 25mm shorter than the ix35 Fuel Cell, which also had a 150mm-shorter wheelbase.