Hyundai Nexo Review

The electric vehicle revolution might be in full swing, with uptake of battery-powered cars increasing year-on-year and the charging infrastructure growing monthly, but there is another zero emissions motoring revolution slowly bubbling away in the background.

Hydrogen has long been hailed as a more realistic way of ridding our roads and railways of polluting internal combustion engines, because fuel cell vehicles boast a better energy density and faster refuelling times than their pure EV counterparts.

In short, experts believe that we have a long way to go before battery technology is in a position to replace those high output diesel engines favoured by heavy goods vehicles, plant machinery and trains. But hydrogen could provide a solution.

Energy density isn't quite so important when it comes to passenger vehicles, but range and refuelling times are, and Hyundai's clever Nexo addresses these facts. By harnessing the power of hydrogen fuel technology, the clever powertrain draws power from a fuel cell stack (not just a battery pack), which combines oxygen from the surrounding air with hydrogen from its high-pressure storage tanks to produce the electricity required to power the motor.

The result of this chemical wizardry is a vehicle with an impressive range and very short refuelling times, while water vapour, which harmlessly exits through the exhaust, is the only thing entering the atmosphere. With full tanks of hydrogen on board, the Nexo is capable of travelling 414 miles (as agreed by the new WLTP testing cycle), before the need to refuel in a similar time and manner to a traditional petrol or diesel engine.

Granted, this isn't the first car to dabble with such technology, as Honda and Toyota have previously offered a similar set-up, while even Hyundai touted an ix35 Fuel Cell version to a small section of the public. Mercedes is also due to release a Hydrogen SUV.

But this is the first time a model has been built from the ground up to house such technology and that hydrogen power has been wrapped up in such an attractive and well-executed package.

Nexo looks like a special car, with sleek SUV styling, a bespoke front end, sharp alloy wheels and an interior lavished with tech and premium materials raising it above the rest of the range.

Inside, customers are treated to a baffling array of buttons that are laid out like a flight deck of some futuristic spacecraft. But this is all surrounded by innovative and luxurious materials, such as bio fibres harvested from sugar cane waste and vegetable plasticisers in the headliner and carpet areas. There are also bioplastics from sugar cane and corn waste in door, seat, pillar and console trims and bio paint extracted from rapeseed and soybean oils for the dashboard and centre console.

Because Hyundai sees this as its technological flagship, it is also offered with plenty of innovative tech, including myriad interior screens and a clever blind spot monitor, which comes into play when the indicators are active and beams a live video feed from wide-angle cameras in the wing mirrors to the instrument cluster.

Drivers will be pleased to know that despite its futuristic hydrogen powertrain, the Nexo behaves just like a conventional automatic car - albeit one with a decent amount of poke. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in around 9.5 seconds, which is impressive given the bulk of the hydrogen tanks.

Now, let's address the pair of elephants in the room. Price and the hydrogen fuelling network. The former is a wallet-stinging £69,495 on the road (making it slightly more expensive than the hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai) and the latter is sparse to say the very least. In fact, there are only 11 hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK at the moment.

Despite UK government plans to have 65 stations by 2030, the Nexo will really only appeal to those very early adopters or fleet managers with the economies of scale and regular mileage to warrant the switch to hydrogen.

Key facts

Warranty	5 years / Unlimited mileage
Boot space	461 litres
Width	1,860mm
Length	4,670mm
Height	1,640mm
Tax	Free

History

Understanding Hyundai Nexo names

Premium SE Trim

Seeing as this is a flagship car for Hyundai, it is only offered in one trim level. Top of the range Premium SE includes pretty much every conceivable optional extra Hyundai offers.

5 Door Body style

The Nexo is best described as a premium crossover, blending elements of a family hatchback with the slightly raised ride height of an SUV. Just one body style is available.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell + Electric Motor Powertrain

There isn't one. A hydrogen fuel cell stack that feeds a permanent magnet synchronous motor powers Nexo.

Single speed Gearbox

Like many pure electric vehicles on the market, Hyundai's innovative fuel cell vehicle features a single speed gearbox, so there aren't any gears to contend with.

Hyundai Nexo Engines

Hyundai Nexo Trims

Hyundai Nexo Reliability and warranty