As other automakers race forward to add new electric vehicles
to their fleets, Hyundai has taken somewhat of a different approach. In addition to several hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, Hyundai currently offers three fully-electric vehicles the Kona Electric, the IONIQ 5, and the IONIQ Electric, but its most buzzed-about new hydrogen-powered car
has hit yet another production delay. According to Green Car Reports
, Hyundai was planning to start production and sales of a redesigned Nexo in 2023, but issues with hydrogen fuel-cell development have delayed the project until 2024. Read on to learn more about the Hyundai Nexo SUV and the South Korean brand’s unique journey with hydrogen fuel-cell technology with car insurance super app
Jerry. Hyundai’s history with hydrogen
The Nexo, which was first launched in 2018, is Hyundai's first dedicated fuel-cell model, but it’s just one piece of Hyundai’s ambitious plan to bring hydrogen technology into the mainstream.
For years, Hyundai has been advocating for the use of fuel-cell technology for commercial vehicles and even has plans to offer fuel-cell versions of all of its commercial vehicles by 2028.
Hyundai has been testing hydrogen-powered Elec City Fuel Cell buses and XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks
in fleets across Europe. Hyundai’s luxury offshoot Genesis is also diving into fuel cell technology and launched an aggressive zero-emission plan for 2025.
According to Inside EVs
, the company proposed that all new Genesis car models launched from 2025 onwards world be zero-emissions and that the entire lineup will be zero-emissions by 2030. A few months after the plan was announced in 2021, however, reports from South Korea indicated that the plan was already on hold. As Hyundai began testing its third-generation fuel cell technology, the results were complex enough to stall the project entirely.
Why the Nexo is struggling in sales
While Hyundai's precise struggles with its fuel cell technology development remain unspecified, it's not the only issue the brand is up against.
Hyundai has worked hard to bolster hydrogen as a sustainable energy source within the automotive industry, but it still remains a very niche segment among the average consumer.
Hyundai sold just 3,978 units of the Nexo in its home market of South Korea and exported only 120 between January and May of 2022. In the U.S., things are even worse.
If you want to buy a fuel-cell vehicle of your own, California is the only state that has sufficient infrastructure
to support them and is thus the only state where they are sold. Even then, hydrogen is a hard sell. Hydrogen prices are high right now, and the cost is roughly the equivalent of $16 per gallon. Outside of California, other states and localities are shifting their focus onto building out infrastructure for electric cars.
If these struggles continue, Hyundai could shift its focus away from hydrogen entirely in favor of developing more eclectic cars.
Getting car insurance for an eco-friendly vehicle
While driving a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle may not be a realistic prospect for many consumers, there are tons of great options for sustainable vehicles on the market right now.
One drawback to making the switch is that insuring an EV can be more expensive than a comparable gas-powered car. That’s where Jerry
comes in to find you the best savings out there. The final cost of your insurance premiums will depend on a lot of factors including age, year of your car, and driving history, but with Jerry, you’ll always get the best deal.
Jerry takes the hassle and confusion out of buying car insurance by comparing quotes for you. Signing up only takes 45 seconds, and then Jerry will show you how much you can save.
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