The hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hyundai Nexo was first shown to the public in early 2018 but unless you're a resident of California, it's not for sale elsewhere in the US. That's a shame because the Nexo is a mid-size premium crossover built on its own unique platform (it's around the size of a Hyundai Tucson) boasting an EPA rated range of up to 380 miles on a full charge. The other downside is its $60,000 or so price tag. Advanced fuel cell tech isn't cheap.

Still, the South Korean automaker has no plans to abandon the FCEV segment in the US nor anywhere else. It remains a worthwhile investment as the auto industry continues to move away from pure combustion engine towards electrification. Battery electrics might eventually rule, but FCEVs aren't out of the picture yet.

That being said, Top Electric SUV has learned Hyundai is currently planning a significant update for the Nexo that will see its range expand to 500 miles. To compare, the recently revealed Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has an EPA range of 402 miles. The $140,000 Model S Plaid has a claimed range of at least 520 miles but the Nexo costs an awful lot less.

This new Nexo information originally came about when South Korea's president was taking a tour of a Hyundai plant in the country and was asking about the Nexo's range. Hyundai Chairman Euisun Chung was with him and felt it necessary to answer the president's question with this response: "I plan to increase its [Nexo's] range to 497 miles in the future." Impressive.

So why, exactly, did the South Korean president have such a specific interest in the Nexo? It's not like American politicians outside of California are even aware of its existence. The answer is because Hyundai has sold more than 10,000 Nexos since it went on sale there in March 2018. Extending the vehicle's range from 380 miles to about 500 miles makes a big statement about the company's tech capabilities and the country's commitment to zero emissions. The report claims the updated Hyundai Nexo is due to arrive sometime in 2021.

And if you think a 500-mile Nexo is cool, bear in mind the just revealed Toyota Mirai FCEV can reportedly travel up to 528 miles on a single charge.

https://carbuzz.com/news/new-hyundai-nexo-will-destroy-tesla-model-s-400-mile-range

Tesla Model 3 Is The Top-Selling EV In South Korea

Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel cell model would be third, if we compared it with plug-ins.

South Korea noted a slight 7% increase in plug-in electric car sales during the first seven months of this year, to 22,054, achieving an average market share of 2%.

According to the latest EV Sales Blog's report, Tesla Model 3 remains the best-selling electric car in the country, noticeably exceeding the locally manufactured models, although its share in the EV segment deteriorated from a dominant 45% to (still very high) 31% (at least partially because of the limited supplies, we guess).

In total, some 6,888 Model 3 were registered, compared to 5,120 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2,315 Kia Niro EV (e-Niro). The Chevrolet Bolt EV noted 1,357 units. Relatively strong was also the plug-in hybrid BMW 530e with 1,168 units.

Hyundai NEXO

The specific of the South Korean market is high sales of hydrogen fuel cell cars, or rather high sales of the only available volume model - Hyundai NEXO. It noted 3,312 sales, which would place it in third place, if we counted it together with plug-ins. The market share is 0.31%, which also is hard to find anywhere else.

The obvious reason behind the relatively high position of NEXO must be government incentives and Hyundai's push to FCVs. We will wait and see how it develops.

https://insideevs.com/news/439228/tesla-model-3-south-korea-july-2020/