Hyundai
Motor Corporation will unveil the i-Blue Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle at
the 2007 Frankfurt International Motor Show which opens on September 13.
The i-Blue demonstrates the company's commitment to developing environmentally
responsible transportation.
Hyundai's new hydrogen-powered, zero-emission
concept, the i-Blue Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle was developed at Hyundai's
Design and Technical Center in Chiba, Japan. The all-new i-Blue platform
is tailored to incorporate Hyundai's third-generation fuel cell technology,
currently being developed at Hyundai's Eco-Technology Research Institute
in Mabuk, Korea.
In keeping with this year's show
theme, "See What's Driving the Future," which focuses on sustainability
and climate protection, the i-Blue signifies a major step towards the commercialization
of Hyundai fuel cell vehicles. Unlike its predecessors which were built
on SUV platforms, the i-Blue features a new 2+2 crossover utility vehicle
(CUV) body type.
"The i-Blue is Hyundai's first-ever
model designed from the ground up to incorporate fuel cell technology,
marking a tremendous leap forward for our R&D program," said Dr. Hyun-Soon
Lee, president of research and development. "Our engineering team has successfully
designed a more compact fuel cell vehicle, while still realizing the safety,
comfort, convenience and driving range of a traditional internal combustion
engine vehicle."
Hyundai is making tremendous efforts
to reach mass production of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles a reality
in the next decade.
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