Hydrogen-powered Hyundai fuel cell replacement cost

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【Summary】The owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 in Germany received a quote of $175,000 to replace its faulty fuel cell. The repair cost is significantly higher than the original purchase price of the vehicle. The owner believes Hyundai should take the car back, but the car-maker stated that the repair is not economically viable. The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell was produced from 2013 to 2018 and had a driving range of 450km to 500km.

FutureCar Staff Aug 18, 2023 7:14 AM PT

Hydrogen-powered Hyundai fuel cell replacement cost

The owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 in Germany is seeking a replacement for his unconventional SUV after receiving a repair quote of almost 104,000 Euros ($AU175,000) to fix its faulty fuel cell.

The German owner, Till Westberg, had driven approximately 84,000 kilometers in the hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell before it failed to start one day, according to German publication Auto Bild.

After having the car towed to a local authorized workshop, Mr. Westberg was given a repair estimate of almost 104,000 Euros to fix the broken hydrogen fuel cell.

In comparison, the C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in Australia starts at $175,000, while the same amount of money can purchase a BMW M4 manual or a Porsche 718 Boxster.

Mr. Westberg bought the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell for 50,400 Euros in late 2015. Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to 66,500 Euros ($AU111,500), which is about 60% of the quoted repair cost.

Despite living more than 100 kilometers away from the nearest hydrogen filling station, Mr. Westberg purchased the hydrogen-powered ix35 because of its driving range of 450km to 500km, which made it suitable for everyday use.

While Mr. Westberg believes Hyundai should take the car back, the car-maker stated that "such a repair no longer makes economic sense" due to the expired five-year warranty.

The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell was produced between 2013 and 2018 as the company's third-generation hydrogen-powered vehicle. Hyundai's local division in Australia had one example of the hydrogen SUV in its press fleet and installed a hydrogen filling station at its headquarters in Sydney.

After the production of the ix35 Fuel Cell ended, Hyundai introduced the Nexo, which is currently used by the ACT and Queensland Governments, as well as Queensland Police. However, both the Hyundai Nexo and its hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai rival are not available for private buyers and are instead offered to government and business fleets on multi-year leases.

Jordan Mulach, originally from Canberra/Ngunnawal and currently residing in Brisbane/Turrbal, joined the Drive team in 2022. He has previously worked for various automotive publications and describes himself as an iRacing addict.