Hyundai shows off a new design direction and a new fuel cell stack for its hydrogen-powered EV.
There aren’t too many players in the hydrogen game, but Hyundai has sold both consumer vehicles like the Nexo as well as full-size trucks over the past few years. Now, it has a new concept for our consumption, though we won’t get to see it close up until the LA Auto Show in a few weeks. It’s called ‘Initium’ — Latin for “beginning”, though again this is far from the first fuel cell EV Hyundai’s brought to market around the globe.
What we’re likely looking at here is more like new beginning, as the Initium takes on Hyundai’s retro-futuristic design language. At first glance, the front end looks like a mix between a Santa Fe SUV and an Ioniq 5, though the automaker is calling this new look the “Art of Steel”, with a more rugged look than its current offerings, especially the Nexo. Hyundai ays it embodies the character of ‘HTWO’, its hydrogen-focused brand.
At this point, we don’t know much in terms of technical specs, as the focus is more on the concept’s design. Hyundai did share some nuggets, though, including this car’s potential 400-mile-plus (650 km) driving range. The Initium’s maximum output is 201 horsepower (150 kW), which is a slight bump over the Nexo, if not an absolute powerhouse like the 601-horsepower Ioniq 5 N EV. Thanks to the bit of extra grunt, Hyundai claims this FCEV’s 0-60 time is now 8 seconds, which again is an improvement from the Nexo’s 8.5-or-so-second 0-60 time.
Like the company’s EVs, Hyundai says the Initium fuel cell vehicle will be able to charge household appliances and devices through Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality via a 220-volt outlet.
It looks cool…but will the Hyundai Initium actually make a difference?
We may get more information prior to the Initium’s first public appearance in LA on November 21. Hyundai does say this hydrogen SUV will go into production in the first half of 2025, though virtually all hydrogen cars in our market are only sold in California. Even in what is one of the most eco-conscious states in the country, there are only 54 hydrogen fueling stations — and half of those are in Los Angeles County alone.
Over in Hyundai’s home market, things aren’t quite as difficult, though H2 filling stations are still relatively uncommon. By late September 2024, there are just under 200 stations in the whole country. (For the U.S., those 54 hydrogen stations in California amounts to just 0.03% of the nearly 200,000 publicly accessible gas stations.)
Still, the Hyundai Initium and its new, third-generation fuel cell stack is a continuation of the brand’s 27-year history with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Exactly how this car’s rollout will work across the globe and what it may represent for the company’s future H2 plans remains to be seen, but we will check it out when we’re on the ground at this year’s LA Auto Show.
