Hydrogen-Powered Hyundai Tucson Coming in 2014

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Nov. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- In the coming decades, the dominance of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines in the auto industry will likely come to an end. But exactly what will replace it is still up for debate. Many automakers have been steadily releasing gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, and a few have developed purely electric-powered vehicles. In a some regions of the country, cars that run on compressed natural gas (or CNG) are a common sight with even many city buses running on this cleaner, cheaper fuel.

While most of the focus of the auto industry is on electric power, Asian automakers like Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota have been pouring research money into developing a different kind of auto technology: hydrogen fuel-cells. And now, Hyundai is releasing a hydrogen-powered version of the popular Tucson crossover SUV. Fuel-cell cars like the upcoming Tucson are similar to gas-electric hybrids, but instead of using gasoline to charge batteries in an electric motor, they convert hydrogen gas to do so.
http://www.shafferhyundai.com/new-vehicles/tucson/

The beauty of hydrogen power is that hydrogen is everywhere – after all, it’s the most common element in the universe. Rather than needing to be piped to fueling stations like CNG, hydrogen can be drawn right out of the air. Like electric power, hydrogen is efficient and clean, but unlike electric motors, refueling only takes a few minutes and can offer ranges of up to 300 miles. Additionally, automakers like Hyundai predict that the cost of building fuel-cell vehicles will drop precipitously as they grow in popularity. Batteries for electric cars, however, are likely to remain as expensive than they are now.

The 2015 Tucson fuel-cell crossover will be available for lease at select Hyundai dealerships starting in 2014. For a 36-month lease, drivers can pay $499 a month with a $2,999 down payment. While that might seem like a steep price, it actually includes the cost of fuel, maintenance, and service – plus, California drivers will be eligible for a $2,500 tax rebate. Whether or not hydrogen becomes the fuel of the future remains to be seen, but Hyundai has proven that a zero-emissions future is closer than we think.
http://www.shafferhyundai.com/contact-us/