Hydrogen-powered Hyundai's fuel cell replacement cost at $175,000

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【Summary】The owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 in Germany was quoted €104,000 ($175,000 AUD) to replace its faulty fuel cell. The repair cost far exceeds the initial purchase price of the vehicle, leading the owner to call for Hyundai to take the car back. The ix35 Fuel Cell, produced between 2013 and 2018, has a driving range of 450-500km and was not sold in Australia. Hyundai's response indicates that the repair is not economically viable.

FutureCar Staff Aug 21, 2023 4:47 PM PT

Hydrogen-powered Hyundai's fuel cell replacement cost at $175,000

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 of the hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell has been hit with a hefty bill to replace the vehicle's fuel cell, making it likely that the unique SUV will be taken off the road due to the astronomical repair cost.

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

After having the car towed to an authorized workshop, Mr. Westberg was given a repair quote of almost 104,000 Euros, which is equivalent to $175,000 in Australian currency, to fix the broken hydrogen fuel cell of the Hyundai.

For comparison, in Australia, a C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray starts at $175,000 plus on-road costs, and the same amount of money can buy a BMW M4 manual or even a Porsche 718 Boxster.

Reportedly, Mr. Westberg purchased the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell for 50,400 Euros in late-2015, which is around 66,500 Euros ($AU111,500) when adjusted for inflation, making it approximately 60 percent of the quoted repair cost.

In an interview with Auto Bild, the Frankfurt-based entrepreneur stated that he had bought the hydrogen-powered ix35 despite living more than 100 kilometers away from the nearest hydrogen filling station. He noted that the car's driving range of 450km to 500km made it "extremely suitable for everyday use".

While Mr. Westberg believes that Hyundai should take the car back, despite its expired five-year warranty, a spokesperson for the car-maker told Auto Bild that "such a repair no longer makes economic sense".

The ix35 Fuel Cell was produced by Hyundai between 2013 and 2018 as their third-generation hydrogen-powered vehicle, following the Santa Fe FCEV (2001) and the Tucson FCEV (2005).

Although the hydrogen ix35 was never sold in Australia, Hyundai's local division had one example of the hydrogen SUV in its press fleet to showcase the technology. They even installed a hydrogen filling station at their Macquarie Park headquarters in Sydney for owners of all vehicles using this niche technology.

After the production of the ix35 Fuel Cell ended, Hyundai introduced the Nexo, which is currently being used by the ACT and Queensland Governments, as well as Queensland Police.

Both the Hyundai Nexo and its hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai rival are not available for private buyers. Instead, these zero-tailpipe-emissions vehicles are offered to government and business fleets on multi-year leases.

Jordan Mulach, who was born in Canberra/Ngunnawal and currently resides in Brisbane/Turrbal, joined the Drive team in 2022. He has previously worked for Auto Action, MotorsportM8, The Supercars Collective and TouringCarTimes, WhichCar, Wheels, Motor, and Street Machine. Jordan describes himself as an iRacing addict and can be found on weekends either behind the wheel of his Octavia RS or swearing at his ZH Fairlane.