Sluggish Sales

 

Even though Hyundai Motor has become the first company in the world to begin mass production of its fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) by unveiling the Tucson ix Fuel Cell two years ago, the company has seen sluggish global sales due to a lack of necessary infrastructure and their relatively expensive prices.

According to Hyundai Motor on June 15, only 273 units of the Tucson ix FCEV have been shipped out for sales at home and abroad as of late last month. In 2013, when the Tucson was first launched, 76 cars were sold. Sales came to 128 units in 2014 and 69 units during the first five months of this year, according to the company.

The sales figures are far short of the company’s earlier targets. Previously, Hyundai Motor announced that it will sell 1,000 units by the end of this year. Of the 273 cars shipped out for sales, only 29 units have been sold at home, while 116 and 117 vehicles have been exported to the U.S. and Europe.

Hyundai Motor has become the first automaker in the world to establish the mass production system for FCEVs. However, the company has been unable to expand supply due to a lack of charging infrastructure available for customers, along with relatively high prices. There are only 11 charging stations for FCEVs in Korea.

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