Hyundai fuel cell replacement cost

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【Summary】A German owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 was quoted €104,000 ($175,000 AUD) to replace its faulty fuel cell. The repair cost is more than double the original purchase price of the vehicle. The owner believes Hyundai should take the car back, but the company stated that such a repair is not economically viable. The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell was produced between 2013 and 2018. The Nexo, Hyundai's successor to the ix35 Fuel Cell, is currently only available to government and business fleets.

FutureCar Staff Aug 18, 2023 4:51 PM PT

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 repair cost is so astronomical that it is likely the hydrogen-powered vehicle will be taken off the road.

Till Westberg, the car's owner, had driven approximately 84,000 kilometers in the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell before it failed to start. After having the car towed to an authorized workshop, he was given a repair quote of almost 104,000 Euros to fix the broken hydrogen fuel cell.

It is worth noting that in Australia, the C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is priced from $175,000 plus on-road costs, and the same amount of money can buy a BMW M4 manual or a Porsche 718 Boxster.

Mr. Westberg originally purchased the hydrogen-powered ix35 for 50,400 Euros in late 2015, which is about 60% of the cost of the repair when adjusted for inflation. Despite living more than 100 kilometers away from the nearest hydrogen filling station, he found the car's driving range of 450km to 500km to be extremely suitable for everyday use.

While Mr. Westberg believes Hyundai should take the car back, the car-maker's spokesperson stated that "such a repair no longer makes economic sense" as the car's warranty has already expired.

The ix35 Fuel Cell was produced between 2013 and 2018 as Hyundai's third-generation hydrogen-powered vehicle. Although the hydrogen ix35 was not 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 headquarters in Sydney for owners of 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 the Queensland Police. However, both the Hyundai Nexo and its hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai rival are not available for private buyers. These zero-tailpipe-emissions vehicles are instead 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 Auto Action, MotorsportM8, The Supercars Collective, TouringCarTimes, WhichCar, Wheels, Motor, and Street Machine. Jordan is an iRacing addict and can be found on weekends either behind the wheel of his Octavia RS or swearing at his ZH Fairlane.