By Felix Tjozongoro
ONGWEDIVA – Hyundai’s zero-emission fuel cell engine, which is used in the ix35, has been recognized as the first engine of its kind in the annual Ward’s 10 Best Engines by WardsAuto World.
The WardsAuto World editors tested and named the most sophisticated engines available on the market today.
Hyundai Motor Company’s ix35 Fuel Cell, the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicle, has been available in Southern California in the US since June 2014, when the first retail customer delivery took place.
Outside the US, the fuel cell programme is currently operating in about a dozen European countries. The ix35 Fuel Cell is now also available to customers in Canada.
The powertrain is exceptionally quiet and has a range of about 430km, and it can be refuelled in minutes instead of hours like a battery-electric vehicle. The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is a great engineering achievement and a giant leap for zero-emissions vehicles.
Hyundai’s fuel cell effectively replaces the battery pack used in an electric vehicle by generating electricity from hydrogen through an electrochemical process that does not involve hydrogen combustion, with no moving parts within the fuel cell stack.
The ix35 Fuel Cell maintains the day-to-day flexibility of the petrol-powered ix35 so that its driver is able to immediately enjoy the next generation of electric vehicles without range or recharge-time compromises to their lifestyle.
Ward’s 10 Best Engines, announced every December, is the list that defines the industry’s outstanding powertrains.