INDUSTRY EVENT Hydrogen hits the road The Hyundai NEXO electric vehicle has arrived FOLLOWING MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BY HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP, NEXO IS THE FIRST HYDROGEN-POWERED VEHICLE TO BE CERTIFIED FOR SALE IN . WE FIND OUT WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. Designed from the ground up as a to be powered by hydrogen made from Efficiency and safety production FCEV, NEXO showcases a renewable energy, and because they NEXO is available in one highly series of innovations and refinements also purify the air as they drive, it will equipped grade that showcases from Hyundai’s first-generation mass- help remove harmful particulates Hyundai’s leading edge, eco-fo cused produced hydrogen , produced by petrol and diesel vehicles. technology and the latest comfort and the ix35 FC EV. The result is NEXO, a He added that there had been a convenience features. At the heart of co mfortable and enjoyable driving substantial amount of interest amongst NEXO is a long-range – 666km ex pe rience typical of Hyundai’s ACT government departments to use (WLTP) – ze ro -emission hydrogen fuel co nventional ve hicle range, with the Hyundai vehicles. cell powertrain featuring a 120kW, industry-leading hydrogen powertrain “There’s quite a few of our public 395Nm electric motor drive and a technology seamlessly at work. servants who are keen to have these lithium-ion po lymer battery, with Shift Th e arrival of NEXO coincides vehicles, and there’s even been some by Wire gear selection and paddle with the opening of Australia’s first competition between the agencies. shifter control for the regenerative public hydrogen refuelling station, in Whether its nurses or education braking system. Canberra, which provides the fuel for department staff getting around and Inte re stingly, an Australian te am the deploy ment of the first 20 road- doing their jobs on behalf of the driving a NEXO has re ce ntly broken registered NEXO FCEVs as community in Canberra, using these the world record for the longest gove rnment fleet ve hicles fo r the vehicles becomes a great distance travelled in a hydrogen- national capital. adve rtisement because the powered vehicle on a single tank. The station, located at a facility community will see them out and Beginning at Melbourne’s Essendon owned by local utility ActewAGL in about and will begin to understand Fields the te am drove thro ugh Broken Canberra, was opened by ACT energy the technology.” Hill and on past Silverto n, to complete and emissions reduction minister “The arrival of NEXO on Au stralian a total distance of 887.5km, according Shane Rattenbury, who said the roads as an ADR-approved production to the NEXO’s own trip computer, refuelling station would allow the ACT vehicle is a landmark in Hyundai’s exceeding the previous world record gove rnment to finally deploy the 20 ongoing commitment to green of 778km. During the trip the NEXO newly acquired Hyundai NEXO mobility and to hydrogen fuel ce ll consumed 6.27kg of hydrogen, at a hydrogen vehicles as part of the ACT electric vehicle technology,” said Jun rate of 0.706kg/100km, and purified government’s fleet. “The AC T Heo, CEO Hyundai Moto r Company. 449,100 litres of air on the journey continues to lead the EV revolution in “The hydrogen NEXO SUV is a (enough for 33 adults to breathe in a Au stralia, and this station will allow cornerstone in the Hyundai portfolio, day). It emitted only water, and of fuel cell electric vehicles on our roads complementing our hybrid, plug-in course zero CO2, where a standard alongside battery electric vehicles, hybrid and battery electric vehicles, internal combustion engine vehicle forming a strong pathway to zero the and Ko na Electric. NEXO is would have emitted approximately emissions transport in Canberra.” also a sign of things to come, as 126kg of CO2 over the same distance. Rattenbury said there are many Hyundai continues in its long-term An extensive standard benefits of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, drive toward s leadership in eco- SmartSense safety suite in NEXO such as short re fuelling times, the ability friendly vehicles.” includes forward collision avoidance

18 –INDUSTRY EVENT NEXO's distance world record. assist (FCA), driver attention wa rning motor. Pure water and purified air tanks are cleverly packaged in the rear (DAW) and a ra dar-based blind-spo t are the only exhaust emissions. of NEXO, with a combined 156-litre collision avoidance assist (BCA-R) Exce ss electric energy – and capacity and the ability to hold up to system. Th ere are also lane keeping electric energy re cupe rated during 6.33kg of hydrogen at a pressure of assist (LKA), re ar cross-traffic co llision braking – is stored in a high-voltage 700 bar. Th ese high-strength, avoidance assist (RCCA) and smart battery to be deployed when needed. lightweight adva nced carbon cruise control (SCC) with Stop & Go. While conventional battery electric composite tanks are tested to ensure ve hicles typically take an exte nded they maintain st ructura l integrity in Eco-friendly powe rtrain time to fully recharge, FCEVs can be the most challenging conditions, such Fuel ce ll electric ve hicles are a type of refilled at the hydrogen refuelling as in collisions. electric ve hicle, and are driven by an station in a matter of minutes. A cleverly integrated lithium-ion electric motor that is powered by polymer battery provides the source electricity generated by an on-board NEXO powe rtrain co mponents of high and low voltage power in fuel cell, using hydrogen as fuel. The innovative hydrogen fuel cell NEXO. The 240V, 1.56kWh battery can Hydrogen gas from the high- system and powertrain defines act as ballast fo r exce ss and pressure fuel tanks flows into the fuel NEXO, making it the ultimate “green re cupe rated energy from the ce ll stack, where it is met with machine”, capable of delivering the powertrain and redeploys this energy oxygen from the atmosphere. The longest hydrogen-powered ra nge to power the vehicle, including on- hydrogen and oxyg en react across of any mass-produced ve hicle while board 12V systems. NEXO also boasts a catalyst membra ne, combining to emitting only wate r and purifying class-leading co ld-start capability, form water and electricity that is the air as it drives. reaching operational temperature harnessed to powe r the ve hicle’s Th ree high-pressure hydrogen fuel from -29°C within 30 seconds.

Minister Rattenbury takes control of the NEXO. The hydrogen refuelling station in Canberra.

The National Collision Repairer – 19 INDUSTRY EVENT

The smooth, near-silent power of supreme comfort with surprising right equipment, procedures and is provided effortlessly by NEXO’s dynamic capability. training. We, like several other electric motor, which is paired to a In addition, reducing noise levels in manufacturers of hydrogen vehicles, single-speed gearbox. With maximums the cabin was a significant focus as do this throughout the world, where of 120kW of power and 395Nm of part of the NEXO chassis tuning we have dozens of dealerships, so we torque available on demand, NEXO program. “The challenge in tuning know what we are doing.” feels far more spirited than its eco- NEXO was to reduce NVH to a level With the opening of the ACT friendly credentials might suggest. The that matched the almost-silent hydrogen refuelling station, the focus electric motor also brings the ability to powertrain,” said Tim Rodgers, Product now turns to both Brisbane and decelerate NEXO while generating Planning and Development Specialist, Melbourne where plans are in place electricity that is then stored in the Australia. to open similar facilities in the high-voltage battery. “We’ve come out of the R&D foreseeable future. Hyundai will process with a refined suspension that control the roll out of the vehicles Chassis and platform matches quite nicely with acoustic levels as the infrastructure is installed to Efficiency and safety were the primary in the cabin. Beyond achieving this, the provide the necessary support. focuses for NEXO’s ground up FCEV tuning program targeted the normal platform development, which delivers ride and handling benchmarks to give And finally, the implications for a no compromise product through NEXO the same style of body control collision repairers innovative design and use of we tune into all our cars, and the same According to Hyundai, the key will be advanced materials in construction. level of competency on Australia’s training. As Nargar has previously The extensive use of bio-plastics notoriously challenging back roads.” stated: “We will continue to work with throughout NEXO’s cabin contributes TAFE and other RTOs to develop the to a 12kg reduction in CO2 produced How safe is the technology? understanding of this new technology. during manufacture. In total, 34kg of A great deal of work has gone into In the last decade, Hyundai has bio-based interior parts are applied in ensuring safety information is shared donated almost 70 vehicles to TAFEs, the form of the trims, carpet, headliner, across the Hyundai network, including trade training schools, medical research door trims, seats and console. dealerships, Fire and Rescue and the and to Fire and Rescue for research Vegetable oil-derived bio-paints are motor clubs such as the NRMA, who around Australia to ensure they are all also used throughout the cabin, along will provide roadside assistance. If ever working with the latest technology.” with bio-fibres made using corn and there was a scenario that further Hyundai is all too aware that there sugarcane waste material. supports a ban on grey imports, it’s are several EV training courses NEXO was developed across the the rapidly increasing technology in available today, and they are looking full spectrum of challenging Australian the vehicles of today and tomorrow. at developing hydrogen fuel cell city, highway, country and gravel Scott Nargar, Senior Manager, courses in the coming years to ensure roads. The local chassis tune, Future Mobility and Government they prepare tomorrow’s technicians developed by Hyundai Motor Affairs, Hyundai Australia said: for this cutting-edge technology. Company Australia’s ride and handling “Training and development of the Editor: Once again, Hyundai team, leverages NEXO’s advanced network will be critical, and in the first demonstrates its technological platform design and lightweight instance the vehicle will need to go capabilities with the introduction of suspension components to deliver back to the dealer to have the this cutting-edge technology onto Hyundai Australia’s signature flavour hydrogen gas evacuated, with the Australian roads.

Refuelling the NEXO couldn't be easier. The hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.

20 –INDUSTRY EVENT