Hyundai Quoted $113,000 to Replace Aging Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could become a fantastic alternative to pure battery electric vehicles, as they can be refueled in minutes and offer the same zero-emissions driving benefits that electric vehicles bring. At the same time, they’re exceedingly rare and can only be refueled in California in the U.S., making them unobtainable for most.
That rarity extends to other countries, and it turns out that it makes repairs shockingly expensive. A German man bought a Hyundai ix35 FCEV for around $55,000 and drove it for several years before a six-figure fuel cell replacement cost took it off the road.
AutoBild reported that Till Westberg’s Hyundai experienced an error and would not drive. Hyundai quoted $113,000 to repair the car, of which only around 1,000 were built. This sort of repair will likely always be expensive, but things get out of hand when there are so few replacement parts around. It’s also worth noting that technology has progressed rapidly since this Hyundai’s release, so the new components being manufactured today don’t translate.
There are currently two FCEVs on sale in California, including the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai. While it’s unclear when or if hydrogen will expand in availability around the country, the technology could play a vital role in helping us reach a zero-emissions future. Electric vehicles alone likely won’t be the answer, as battery production and charging station construction struggle to keep pace with demand.
[Image: Hyundai Europe]
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Eliminate the fool cell and convert it to a BEV, like a modern-day "LS swap".
Internal combustion engines + eFuels = SUSTAINABLE and the least problematic power source when compared to the many downsides of EVs and Fuel Cell cars.
The infrastructure for liquid fuels already exists and the benefits are clear. High energy dense liquid fuels which won’t evaporate overnight in your fuel tank (unlike Hydrogen and battery discharge in EVs) and can be quickly put back into your fuel tank saving you tons of time.
Not sure why these eco wackos want us to dive into resource-hungry and unsustainable BEV technology. I am open to Fuel Cell technology once it is perfected and the costs come down, but that won’t be happening in the next decades.
“Zero Emissions” is the code word for the global eco lefties literally translating into “We don’t want you owning an ICE car and eventually not EV either.”
so....what's the green score tally after taking into account the pluses from the miles he drove vs the minuses of manufacturing AND scrapping the car after only 52k miles?
"A German man bought a Hyundai ix35 FCEV for around $55,000 and drove it for several years before a six-figure fuel cell replacement cost took it off the road."
Let's try some journalisming here. What model year is the car? Did he buy it new? Used? What kind of warranty did Hyundai offer on this vehicle? How much did it get driven? A little context would be nice. Instead we learned he was German. (Claps)