Hyundai To Launch Hydrogen-Powered Nexo in India

After keeping the enthusiasts guessing for months, Hyundai has finally launched the all-new Kona electronic SUV in India. This is the first electric car from Hyundai in the country and the company plans to take leadership in innovation in this industry in future. The next big unconventional offering from Hyundai in India would be a hydrogen-powered car. This car will be named Nexo and is set to debut in the country in 2021.

Hyundai Nexo is not your regular car that operates on petrol or diesel. Instead, this car is powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cells. As of now, this car is on sale only in South Korea -- home market of Hyundai -- and the United States. A leading financial portal has reported that the all-new Nexo will be launched in 2021. Bear in mind that Hyundai had officially showcased Nexo in India at the India-Korea Business Summit in 2018.

However, there is more to Nexo than its hydrogen cells. That distinction lies in its drivetrain. The car is powered by 161 Bhp electric motor that can take the car to 100 km/h in just 9.5 seconds. The electric motor generates a maximum of 395 Nm torque that is enough for the car to move around the city traffic with ease. Nexo uses hydrogen fuel cell that is much quicker refill than conventional electric cars. In international market, this car gets a range of 800 km but the Indian-spec version could offer a range of 1,000 km. The best part is the fuel cell technology that takes only five minutes to get refueled.

Nexo is based on a bespoke platform and Hyundai plans to manufacture many more new cars on it using the same fuel technology. The tank capacity of Hydrogen is 156-liters and can power the car for longer ranges. Most hydrogen-powered cars require time to warm up the fuel. However, Nexo is unique in the sense that it only takes 30 seconds to warm up -- much lower than any other Hydrogen-powered car in the market. For the unacquainted, there are quite a few Hydrogen cars in the international markets, including Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai.

Coming to fuel, filling hydrogen in cars requires special stations. There are dispenser units just like the ones at petrol and diesel stations that come with special nozzles. It takes about 5 mins to fill the fuel to the brim. Hyundai claims that Hydrogen-powered Nexo is as good as Internal Combustion Engine cars. The Nexo operates silently, just like electric cars but refueling makes them extremely convenient when compared to the pure EVs.