Hydrogen-powered Hyundai owner faces $175,000 fuel cell replacement cost.

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【Summary】The owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 in Germany was quoted €104,000 ($175,000) to replace the car's faulty fuel cell. The repair cost is significantly higher than the initial purchase price of the vehicle, which was €50,400. The owner believes Hyundai should take the car back, but the company stated that the repair is not economically viable. The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell was produced between 2013 and 2018 and had a driving range of 450-500km.

FutureCar Staff Aug 20, 2023 6:54 AM PT

Hydrogen-powered Hyundai owner faces $175,000 fuel cell replacement cost.

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

Till Westberg, the German owner of the Hyundai ix35, had driven approximately 84,000 kilometers before the vehicle failed to start. After being towed to an authorized workshop, he was given the repair cost of almost 104,000 Euros to fix the broken hydrogen fuel cell.

It is worth noting that the cost of repair is equivalent to the price of a C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in Australia, or a BMW M4 manual, or even a Porsche 718 Boxster.

Mr. Westberg purchased the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell for 50,400 Euros in late 2015, which is only 60 percent of the quoted repair cost when adjusted for inflation. Despite living far from the nearest hydrogen filling station, he found the vehicle suitable for everyday use due to its driving range of 450km to 500km.

Although Mr. Westberg believes Hyundai should take back the car, the car-maker stated that such a repair is no longer economically viable. The ix35 Fuel Cell was produced between 2013 and 2018 as Hyundai's third-generation hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Hyundai's local division in Australia had one example of the hydrogen ix35 in its press fleet to showcase the technology. They even installed a hydrogen filling station at their headquarters in Sydney. Following the end of production for the ix35 Fuel Cell, Hyundai introduced the Nexo, which is currently used by government and business fleets.

The Hyundai Nexo and its hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai rival are not available to private buyers and are only offered to government and business fleets on multi-year leases.

Jordan Mulach, a Canberra/Ngunnawal native 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.