A total of 20 zero-emission Hyundai NEXO hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles have been registered as part of the ACT government fleet.
The NEXO fleet are set to hit the road in March and represent the first deployment of fully certified Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) in Australia, as well as the first use of hydrogen vehicles by a Government in Australia.
ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury MLA, said that the NEXO fleet deployment is a positive step towards mitigating climate change.
“Tackling climate change means tackling transport pollution, and zero-emission vehicle technology is a key part of this,” Mr Rattenbury said.
Australia’s first publicly available hydrogen station is scheduled to open in Canberra later this month (March 2021) and will provide the capability for 700-bar rapid refueling of the NEXO fleet.
The initial 20 ACT government NEXO vehicles will be followed by a fleet of five FCEVs for the QLD government, which are presently on a ship to Australia.
Queensland Treasurer, Cameron Dick MP said the aim is to demonstrate the viability of an FCEV for normal road use, whether for private motorists or the government.
“We want to demonstrate to the Queensland community that these vehicles can be on the road like any other vehicle,” Cameron Dick MP, QLD Treasurer said.
“They’ll be seamlessly introduced into the QFleet range of vehicles to show the public that hydrogen can be used safely,” he said.
NEXO has a range of 666km (WLTP), with a refueling time of three to five minutes, in an SUV that emits only water vapour from its exhaust and purifies the air as it drives. The NEXO features the latest autonomous driving capabilities and is the first FCEV to score the ANCAP maximum five-star safety rating.
“The deployment of 20 NEXO fuel cell electric vehicles for the ACT government is a significant milestone in Hyundai’s long-term commitment to hydrogen as a key to zero-emissions transport solutions for Australia,” Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer, Jun Heo said.
“As part of a line-up that includes the hybrid and plug-in hybrid IONIQ, and the pure electric IONIQ and Kona models, NEXO also underscores Hyundai’s leadership in eco-mobility,” he said.
