Hyundai Nexo FCV certified in India ahead of its launch

The Hyundai Nexo has received a Type Approval Certificate from Delhi-NCR’s transport department, something which is usually followed by the vehicle’s market launch. The Hyundai Nexo could be arriving in the Indian market later this year, after all.

Hyundai Nexo launch India Type Approval Certificate
Hyundai has confirmed that it plans to launch the Nexo in India. Image Source: Government of Delhi

In July 2019, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, Seon Seob Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai (India), had said that the company plans to launch the Nexo hydrogen car in India in 2021. Kim was pretty straightforward in confirming the launch and timeline, indicating that the plan is rock-solid even though the Nexo is a niche model and India has barely any hydrogen refueling stations.

The Nexo is already on sale in Korea, and we will be launching it in India in 2021. We will be partnering in building the required infrastructure for the Nexo in and around the Delhi-NCR area.

Seon Seob Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai (India) to Moneycontrol

Video Source: youtube.com/Hyundai NZ

The Hyundai Nexo made its Indian debut at the India-Korea Summit in February 2018, and that was just a month after its world premiere at CES 2018. Two years later, it was presented at Auto Expo 2020. The Hyundai Nexo’s availability in India would be more limited than the Hyundai Kona Electric, because of the price and the very few hydrogen refueling stations.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set up two hydrogen refueling stations at IOC R&D Centre in Faridabad and the National Institute of Solar Energy in Gurugram. In South India, BPCL Kochi Oil Refinery and the Kerala government are likely to establish hydrogen refuelling stations in several locations in Kerala, including but not limited to Kochi.

Late last year, sales of the Hyundai Nexo have crossed 10,000 units in South Korea. The hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle was launched in the brand’s homeland in March 2018. From the sales records up to October 2020, Hyundai said that 88.3% of Hyundai Nexo customers are individuals. Corporate customers have a share of 10.9%. The fact that individual customers are making up most sales should instill confidence in the management that the Nexo has the potential as a mainstream product. Most Hyundai Nexo customers in South Korea are in their 40s (28.9%) and 50s (26.2%).

Specifications

The Hyundai Nexo is the first dedicated fuel cell electric vehicle from Hyundai. It is a zero emission vehicle (emits only water), with range & refuelling time comparable to conventional vehicles (Internal combustion engine). The Nexo is an important vehicle in a generic sense as its range, performance and fueling time are comparable to conventional vehicles. It takes 5 mins to fill the hydrogen tanks and has a range of 600 km/fill.

The Nexo is powered by a 95 kW fuel cell stack and 40 kW Lithium-ion battery with a total output of 135 kW and 395 Nm torque. The car accelerates 0-100 km/h in 9.2 sec and has a top speed of 179 km/h.

Hyundai Nexo – Image Gallery

Hyundai Nexo – Exterior & Interior

The design is highly aerodynamic to reduce drag & improve efficiency/range. The exterior is characterized by a large grill (some similarities to the Lexus grill) at the front. The flush door handles keep the sides neat while the rear is of a contemporary SUV/crossover. The clean exterior is complete with aerodynamic elements like air tunnels & hidden wipers.

The interior is characterized by a two-spoke steering wheel and large central console. A large LCD display comprising a 7” instrument cluster and 12.3” infotainment/navigation display dominate the dashboard. Two interior trim options are available – two-tone Stone & Shell Grey or one-tone Meteor Blue. The use of UL certified bio-materials improves the CO2 balance of Nexo by 20%, says Hyundai.

In addition to standard convenience & safety features such as 6 airbags, powered tailgate, heated / ventilated seats, wireless mobile charging, the car is loaded with futuristic technology & safety features such as Blind spot view monitor (first in industry technology), Lane follow assist & Highway drive assist, Remote smart parking assist, forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, high beam assist, static low beam assist, driver attention warning, blind spot collision warning and rear cross traffic collision warning.

What is the Hyundai Nexo India launch date?

Hyundai plans to launch the Nexo in India later this year.

Featured Image Source: Hyundai