50 ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles will power the new BeeZero car sharing programme by the Linde Group launching in mid-2016 in Munich.
07 Apr 2016 | 3928 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Hyundai is to provide 50 ix35 Fuel Cell electric cars for the world’s first fuel cell powered zero-emission car sharing service BeeZero, to be launched in Munich, Germany this summer. BeeZero is run by a newly founded subsidiary of The Linde Group.
“The new BeeZero car sharing offer is ...
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Hyundai is to provide 50 ix35 Fuel Cell electric cars for the world’s first fuel cell powered zero-emission car sharing service BeeZero, to be launched in Munich, Germany this summer. BeeZero is run by a newly founded subsidiary of The Linde Group.
“The new BeeZero car sharing offer is pioneering sustainable mobility,” says Thomas A Schmid, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Europe. “Featuring the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell, BeeZero will not only be the first car sharing service using hydrogen-powered zero-emission cars, but will also offer comfortable and reliable transportation for the public’s everyday needs.”
“We expect to gain valuable information from day-to-day fleet operations which we will use to further develop our hydrogen technologies and to help expand the hydrogen infrastructure,” said Dr Christian Bruch, member of the executive board of Linde AG. “BeeZero synergises two mobility trends that are gaining a lot of ground at the moment -car sharing and zero emissions -and will bring the benefits of fuel cell technology to a wider group of potential users.”
600 kilometres on a single tank
The BeeZero car sharing service will be run on a zone-based model. The fleet of 50 ix35 Fuel Cell cars will be available in Munich’s city centre and also in the areas of Schwabing, Haidhausen, Au and Glockenbachviertel. As with conventional car sharing services, the cars can be easily booked online or via a smartphone app.
The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell can travel about 600 kilometres on a single tank, making it ideal for longer journeys too, to the Bavarian lakes or the mountains for example, and not just for short trips in the city. Hydrogen fuel for BeeZero is sourced from sustainable production processes, making it completely carbon neutral.
A leader in electric mobility
The ix35 Fuel Cell is the world's first mass-produced and commercially available fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Currently there are more than 250 ix35 Fuel Cell SUVs on European roads in 13 countries, which is more than all FCEVs from every other manufacturer combined. And with the Ioniq, which is to be launched this year, Hyundai will introduce the world’s first car to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric powertrains in a single body type.