cars news 10: Hyundai FE Fuel Cell Concept Previews 497-Mile Hydrogen SUV

While some world leaders may be making up their own “alternative facts” when it comes to vehicle emissions and global warming, Hyundai is doubling down on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Today at the Geneva Motor Show, the South Korean automaker revealed the Hyundai FE Fuel Cell Concept, a preview of its next-generation hydrogen SUV that it says will be capable of nearly 500 miles of travel on a tank of hydrogen.

A preview of a 2018 Hyundai production model, the FE Fuel Cell Concept—we’re told the “FE” stands for “Future Eco”—represents the fourth generation of fuel cell technology for Hyundai. Compared to the Tucson Fuel Cell that it’ll eventually replace, Hyundai says the FE Fuel Cell Concept’s hydrogen technology is 20 percent lighter than before, 10 percent more efficient, and with 30 percent more power density out of the fuel cell stack. All this combines to give the hydrogen-fueled SUV 497 miles of range between fill-ups.

About the size of a Hyundai Tucson, the FE has a somewhat radical design that will likely be watered down (no pun intended) a fair amount by the time the vehicle reaches production. Even so, the production version will likely include a few of the concept’s party pieces, like its built-in portable battery chargers, and its internal air humidifier, which recycles the hydrogen fuel cell stack’s sole emission, water, to help create a more comfortable cabin environment.

Hyundai hasn’t yet announced which countries its future hydrogen SUV will be sold in, but it’s quite likely that we’ll see it on our shores within the next couple of years.