Hydrogen Fuel Cell Concept Car
Hyundai Motor Company unveiled the design of its HED-9 hydrogen fuel cell concept car on Feb. 24. This model is making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2014, which kicks off on March 4.
HED-9 is the ninth concept car presented by Hyundai Design Center Europe located in Ruesselsheim, Germany. Its Namyang Research Institute in Korea worked with the design center for its simple yet dynamic design and ultra-light structure using the most advanced materials. The concept car adopts the design language of Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 based on aircraft design, and redundant elements were removed for simplicity.
The model has the nickname Intrado, which was borrowed from the lower part of an aircraft wing that generates the lift force. “We employed carbon fiber-reinforced plastic in quantity and added patent-pending technical elements to achieve the lightweight yet robust structure,” said one of the designers.
The car is equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system including a 36 kW-capacity lithium ion battery. Once fully charged, it can drive up to 600 km. It takes approximately five minutes for the vehicle to be fully charged.
HED-9 is the first outcome of Peter Schreyer in Hyundai since he became the chief design officer of the Hyundai Motor Group in January last year. “The design of HED-9 reflects my company’s philosophy of new thinking and new possibilities,” he explained.
In the meantime, Hyundai Motor Company is going to exhibit 11 vehicles at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, including the second-generation Genesis sedan.