Motoring News Don't miss out on the headlines from Motoring News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Hyundai’s Initium SUV looks ideal for Australia – killer good looks, off-road adventure ready and the promise of 650km range between refuels.
But there’s a problem. You need hydrogen to power it. Hyundai Initium FCEV Concept.
Picture: Supplied While electric cars can be charged at public chargers or through a home wall socket, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) like this Initium demands a hydrogen refueller. And you won’t find one of those in Woolies car park. Not yet, anyway.
Australia has only 12 hydrogen refueller stations operating or under construction, so current hydrogen cars like Toyota’s Mirai and Hyundai’s Nexo are the reserve of urban fleets, typically eco-minded governments. Hyundai Initium FCEV Concept. Picture: Supplied But Hyundai is at the forefront of helping change that, and this stylishly rugged-looking Initium concept will soon help lead the charge.
It previews a production fuel cell electric vehicle set to debut in the first half of 2025, and Hyundai Australia has its hand firmly in the air. “We’ll be working on getting that car (the production version of Initium) to Australia as a replacement for Nexo,” said Scott Nargar, Senior Manager of Future Mobility and Government Relations at Hyundai. 2021 Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
Its Nexo small SUV has been in production since 2018, and the ACT Government has run a fle.