Hyundai Fuel Cell Effort seems to be a reality. Happy Hyundai Oak Lawn

Hyundai Hints at Taking U.S. Fuel Cell Effort Beyond Mere Demonstration Project

By Rick Popely, Contributor
CHICAGO -  A Hyundai Motor America official hinted Thursday that when the automaker introduces its fuel cell vehicle in 2012 the program could consist of limited retail sales rather than placing the hydrogen-powered electric cars in a demonstration project.

"We intend to do it on a small-scale, perhaps beyond a demonstration program," Deborah Bakker, Hyundai's senior manager for regulation and certification, said at a public hearing on the EPA's proposed new fuel economy window stickers.

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Hyundai has been developing its fuel cell system for more than 15 years and presently is testing it in California in these older Tuscon SUVs.

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Hyundai has previously said it would launch fuel cell vehicles starting in 2012, but also had said the initial market would be in South Korea ad that it would only be making about 1,000 of the vehicles a year at first.
Bakker dropped the hint of a possible U.S. retail effort in response to questions from EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials during the public hearing held to gather industry and public input on proposal for redesigning the EPA's fuel economy window sticker.
During the hearing, Bakker urged regulators to establish a fuel economy rating methodology for fuel-cell electric vehicles in the U.S. before Hyundai launches its program in 2012 - a further clue that the company may be planning to begin retail sales right away.
Several automakers, including General Motors and Honda, already have fuel-cell vehicle demonstration programs underway, but have not asked for an official EPA fuel economy rating because their cars are not considered retail models.

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