13 Sep 07
Developed at its technical centre in Chiba, Japan, the i-Blue has Hyundai's latest fuel cell technology. Hyundai says that it is 'making tremendous efforts to reach mass production of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles a reality in the next decade' and that 'the i-Blue signifies a major step towards the commercialisation of Hyundai fuel cell vehicles.'
Research and development chief Dr Hyun-Soon Lee added: 'The i-Blue is Hyundai's first-ever model designed from the ground up to incorporate fuel cell technology, marking a tremendous step forward for our R&D programme. Our engineering team has successfully designed a more compact fuel cell vehicle, while still realising the safety, comfort, convenience and driving range of a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle.'
The i-Blue, a 2+2-seater, also hints at Hyundai's plans to replace or supplement its more traditional Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs with more car-like models. Hyundai describes this concept as a CUV, or crossover utility vehicle.
Check out the rest of our Frankfurt Motor Show coverage
