Denmark and Norway have chosen the Tucson ix35 sport utility vehicle by South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. as a fuel cell test bed vehicle, the company’s parent group said Tuesday.

Hyundai Motor Group, whose flagship companies include Hyundai and Kia Motors Corp., said the selection highlights the competitiveness of its fuel cell technology and growth potential of the eco-friendly vehicles.

Fuel cell systems convert chemical energy from natural fuel sources, such as hydrogen, directly into electricity. Such systems provide an almost limitless clean energy supply and only release water.

The world’s fifth-largest automaking conglomerate said four Tucson fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) will be used as test beds in the two countries. These vehicles can travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and have a range of 525 kilometers after receiving a full tank of hydrogen.

Feasibility tests using the FCEVs are part of the larger Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Undertaking being pursued by the European Union.

The automotive group said the test bed arrangement could open new horizons for the carmaker to make headway in the future European hydrogen fuel cell market.
 

(Yonhap News)