Words: Ganesh Murthy
Hyundai Motors showcased Nexo at the CES 2018 which is currently underway in Las Vegas. The Nexo is one amongst the 18 new eco-friendly cars that will be launched by Hyundai by 2025 as a part of its scheme to develop environment friendly vehicles. The car will be built on a completely new platform that boasts improved power to weight ratio and increased cabin space. The Nexo is powered by a 120kW electric motor with a battery capacity of 40kW along with a fuel cell that makes 95kW, the peak twist is 394.5Nm.
The Nexo accelerates to 100kmph from standstill in a claimed 9.5 seconds, which makes it 3 seconds faster than the ix35 Fuel Cell (Hyundai’s first fuel cell car), because of a more powerful motor. Another highlight of the Nexo is its magnanimous range. At 804km of claimed range on one single charge, the Nexo offers a whooping 210km range over the ix35 Fuel Cell. Hyundai also claims that the hydrogen powered Nexo can be fuelled in just 5 minutes while the car is 25 per cent quicker in comparison with the ix35 Fuel Cell.
The Nexo has a plethora of technical features to offer. Blind-spot View Mirror (BVM) displays the blind spot areas on the centre console, driver video footage from both sides of the vehicle keeps the driver inputs in check, Lane Following Assist (LFA) makes sure that the car stays in the specific lane without deviation up to speeds of 145kmph. Another driving aid is the Highway Driving Assist (HDA) that adjusts speeds for long distance driving in different environments by using sensors and maps.
Hyundai claims that the Nexo will start within 30 seconds even when subjected to extreme temperature conditions like keeping it overnight at -28°C and efficient cooling even with outside temperature reaching 48°C. The Nexo is expected to go on sale in select markets globally in a few months.