Eager to show the world just how clean its hydrogen-powered Nexo SUV is, Hyundai recently recruited the help of Olympic athlete and brand ambassador Mireia Belmonte.
As the Nexo uses a hydrogen fuel cell, it emits only water and 99.9 per cent filtered oxygen, so the South Korean automaker’s Spanish division decided to demonstrate this by setting up a sealed air bubble connected to the Nexo’s exhaust and had Belmonte run on a treadmill in the bubble. It makes for pretty entertaining viewing, especially when you consider what would happen if you tried this with a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle.
Also Watch: Hyundai Nexo Is The First Fuel Cell Vehicle Tested By The IIHS, Gets Top Score
The hydrogen system of the Nexo works much like other similar powertrains. There are a trio of hydrogen tanks that feed into fuel cell stacks where at the anode, the particles are broken down into electrons and protons. These electrons produce a current that supplies power to a battery which drives an electric motor at the front wheels. The leftover protons are sent through a membrane where they react with electrons and collected oxygen to create water which exits through the exhaust.
While the technology has a lot of potential, FCVs have failed to take off the way many would have expected a decade or so ago. This could be attributed both on car manufacturers throwing their hats into the EV race rather than the hydrogen vehicle market, as well as the costs that are still prohibitive.
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