The ix35 Fuel Cell is basically an electric vehicle. Up
front is an electric motor that produces 134bhp, and there’s a battery under
the floor. Unlike most EVs, however, you don’t plug this one into the mains. The fuel cell is located under the bonnet and
runs on hydrogen drawn from a couple of high-pressure tanks either side of the
rear axle. But unlike in a conventional internal combustion engine, this fuel
isn’t burnt.
Externally, the only differences between this and a
conventional ix35 are a blue-backed Hyundai badge, fuel cell budging at the
rear and a different fuel filler cover. Inside, the changes are even harder to
spot, limited to a different set of dials in front of the driver.
From behind the wheel, it’s easy to be fooled into
thinking that you’re just in a remarkably quiet Hyundai SUV. Thumb the starter
button and the instruments spring into life to reveal a conventional-looking
fuel gauge with a handy range guide.
The rev counter is replaced by a dial that shows either
power consumption or if energy recuperation when braking. Between the seats is
a gear stick shared with the automatic ix35; slip this into Drive and you pull
away with barely any noise. The worst you’ll get is a faint whine under hard
acceleration.
Like most electric cars, you’re much better taking a
relaxed approach with the ix35. Not only will smaller throttle openings
preserve the range, but you also get to appreciate the exceedingly comfortable
ride. Imperfections are soaked up without fuss, while bigger bumps are dealt with
equally well.
As for the interior, you’d be hard pushed to notice
you’re in anything but a normal ix35. This has both positive and negative
points. The good news is that the cabin is for the most part spacious and
not too bad to look at. It’s easy enough to get comfortable up front and you
sit high up, with a commanding view of the road ahead.
The rear seats offer a decent amount of leg room,
although the sloping roofline does eat into head room significantly. Where the
ix35 does score over the Toyota Mirai, its rival fuel cell offering, is that it
offers seating for five, not four. There won’t be masses of shoulder room but
it’s good to have the ability to carry three in the back.
Those occupants should probably pack light however; one
of the hydrogen tanks is under the boot floor and does impinge on load bay
space. While a regular ix35 has 591 liters of storage space, the fuel cell
model makes do with only 436 liters.
0 nhận xét :
Đăng nhận xét