Fuel cell electric vehicles have taken their fair share of hits over the past couple of years, but auto manufacturers are still plugging away at those pesky little buggers. The question is, why? When you consider how far fuel cell EV technology lags behind battery EVs, it looks like the chances are pretty slim for getting a foothold in the personal mobility market of the future.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a missive that Hyundai issued last Friday under the header “You’ve Got Fuel Cell Questions, We’ve Got Answers.” We’re guessing that it won’t answer your deep-dive questions about FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) technology, but it does give you a glimpse into the gray matter that goes into the decision making process, when the deciders decide to keep trucking down the path of what some would call certain automotive doom.
Ten Questions About Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles…
Hyundai put out the fuel cell document in response to an open call for answers from our friends over at Green Car Reports, in the form of an article titled “10 Questions On Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars To Ask Toyota, Honda & Hyundai.”
The occasion for the Q-and-A is the rollout of FCEVs and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the high profile California market.
Hyundai is leading off its California venture with a crossover, the 2015 fuel cell Tucson (our sister site Gas2.org has been following that rollout, btw). If you usually think of small and light when you think of EVs, a crossover might seem like an odd choice for a launch, but keep the crossover thing in mind as you take a look at Hyundai’s answers.
…And One Answer
The whole thing is a quick read (it’s just a 12-page brochure), but for those of you on the go Hyundai’s answers boil down to a point we’ve brought up previously, which is that it’s too early in the alternative fuel game to put the kibosh on promising technologies:
No single, low-carbon powertrain solution can totally satisfy the wide-ranging expectations our consumers take for granted. Instead, a portfolio of alternative-fuel powertrains is necessary to ensure every consumer can find the right low-carbon vehicle solution for their needs, without compromises to their lifestyle or driving behavior.
Briefly, Hyundai doesn’t see how BEV (battery electric vehicle) technology alone can provide the kind of flexibility and lifecycle performance potential of fuel cells, given a market that covers everything from subcompacts to crossovers, minivans, pickup trucks and larger vehicles.
Source: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/17/hyundai-answers-10-questions-about-fuel-cell-electric-vehicles/
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