The Longest Range Hydrogen SUV In The World

Hydrogen has long been thought of as the ultimate green fuel source. It creates zero emissions beyond water vapor, and instead of the long charging times of electric vehicles, hydrogen cars can fill up at a pump in just a short set of minutes. Having the best of both worlds when it comes to green power is quite appealing. The production of the hydrogen used to power the cars can even be zero-emission.

When using solar power or biological (using algae and other microorganisms) production methods, the making of hydrogen is just as green as the cars that run on it. The fuel cell technology that powers most hydrogen cars was invented nearly 200 years ago. Then, in the early 1900s, the hydrogen fuel cell was perfected. NASA used fuel cells to power most of its space-faring technology.

Larger people carriers have always been the basis for hydrogen vehicles. The first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was the GM Electrovan. The first modern hydrogen powered vehicle was the Toyota FCEV. Now, as hydrogen becomes an increasingly popular solution to global government mandates for zero-emission technology, hydrogen SUVs are back. Here’s what we know about the longest range hydrogen SUV in the world.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Hyundai and Toyota websites and press releases.

The Hyundai Nexo Is The Longest Range Hydrogen SUV Currently On Sale

Hyundai’s Nexo is its flagship hydrogen vehicle. The Nexo is a crossover SUV with a fuel-cell powertrain. It is one of two hydrogen-powered vehicles available in the U.S. right now, the other being the Toyota Mirai. The CR-V FCEV is not on sale at the time of writing this article.

The Nexo is currently the only hydrogen SUV available in the U.S., which kind of makes it the longest range by default. However, the range and performance would probably still be top-of-the-line, even if there were other options.

It Has An EPA Rating Of 380 Miles

The Nexo Blue spec gets 380 miles on a tank of hydrogen. This number is slightly lower than the Mirai, which goes about 400 miles, but the Mirai is a sedan, so that is to be expected. The 380-mile range is actually more than the Hyundai Tuscon AWD, which only gets 358 miles on a tank of gas per the EPA. Clearly, the Nexo’s range is real-world applicable. As long as you can find a hydrogen fill-up station.

The Nexo Is A Safe, Comfortable Small SUV For Families

Crossovers have quickly become among the most popular cars on the road. Hyundai thus chose the crossover style for its first commercial hydrogen vehicle. The Nexo is aimed at ecologically conscious families that want a zero-emission vehicle to take the kids to soccer practice and the dogs to the park.

Hyundai Nexo Specs

(Data sourced from Hyundai)

Hyundai Is Into Hydrogen In A Big Way

Hyundai is invested in hydrogen beyond just passenger vehicle applications. It sees the fact that hydrogen is a storable sustainable source of energy as a huge benefit over electric energy in the zero-emission world. Hyundai has been invested in hydrogen power since 1998 and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

Hyundai Is Developing Hydrogen-Powered Trucks

Hyundai partnered with H2Energy to develop Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a joint venture that produces hydrogen-powered commercial transport. The result is the XCIENT, Hyundai’s first hydrogen truck. HHM has had the trucks on the road, doing real-world work, since 2020. The main launch point for the XCIENT has been Switzerland, where the trucks have brought goods around the country for about four years, emitting absolutely no CO2 while doing so.

HHM has racked up over seven million kilometers of real-world driving on the XCIENT, more than any other fuel cell trucking initiative. The XCIENT initiative has been a resounding success so far. Hyundai has plans to bring the hydrogen trucks out of Europe and into the U.S. as well, starting of course in the home of American Hydrogen, California.

It Built A Retro-futuristic Hydrogen Sports Car

Hyundai hasn’t just limited its hydrogen production to family cars and trucks. It has also created a hydrogen-powered sports car. The Hyundai N-Vision 74 is based on the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe. The Pony was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Famous for his wedges, he also designed the Delorean DMC.

The N Vision 74 takes that classic wedge styling and brings it into the future. It makes use of a hybrid powertrain of electric batteries and a hydrogen fuel cell to drive electric motors. We think it looks quite good. Any kind of green car that can produce sporty performance along with good looks is quite alright in our books.

Hyundai N Vision 74 Specs

(Data Sourced From Hyundai)

The Longest Range Hydrogen SUV Ever Was The Toyota FCHV-adv

While the Nexo is currently the top-range hydrogen-powered SUV on the market, it does not hold the record for the longest-range hydrogen SUV of all time. Toyota, surprising no one, holds that title.

The FCHV-adv, a hydrogen-powered Highlander model, does. Toyota has been making hydrogen SUVs since its first hydrogen car, the FCEV-1, which was based on the RAV4. However, it currently does not offer a hydrogen-powered SUV, just a sedan. Here’s a little more info on the late 2000s hydrogen SUV.

It Had An EPA Rating Of 491 Miles On A Tank

When it came to the U.S. in 2010, it instantly became the longest-range zero-emission vehicle commercially available with a 491-mile rating. Toyota had developed the car for years and was ready to bring it overseas.

At the time, 300 miles was a pipe dream even for the top EV makers like Tesla. The Japanese version of the vehicle could go even further, pushing up to 516 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. Unfortunately, the lack of widely available hydrogen infrastructure made it difficult for the car to be widely available as a consumer vehicle.

Toyota FCHV-adv Specs

(Data sourced from Toyota)

Toyota Is The King Of Hydrogen

Toyota has been dedicated to hydrogen since 1992, almost a decade before Hyundai got in the game. This commitment explains why it was able to put out a car with over 100 miles more range over a decade before the Nexo. Toyota sees hydrogen as the future, every bit as much as Hyundai does, and has put in the work to prove it for the last thirty or more years. Here’s a bit more background on Toyota’s hydrogen development.

The FCHV-adv Was The Culmination Of Toyota’s Hydrogen SUV Development

Toyota developed hydrogen versions of the Highlander in 2001 with the FCHV-3. The next generation, the FCHV-4 was the first hydrogen vehicle to be approved for testing on public roads and became one of the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles available to the public in Japan along with Honda’s FCX. However, without any commercial success, Toyota revamped its hydrogen strategy and turned to the sedan models we see today.

It Also Holds The Guinness World Record For Longest Hydrogen Vehicle

Toyota doesn’t just hold the title for longest-range hydrogen SUV, it holds the record for the longest-record hydrogen vehicle, period. The Toyota Mirai busted that record back in 2021 with an 845-mile trip. The Mirai was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest trip on a single tank of hydrogen.

The impressive journey was completed by professional hypermilers Wayne Gerdes and Bob Winger, more than doubling the Mirai’s EPA range. Speaking of that Mirai EPA range, it is the longest of the two commercially available hydrogen vehicles in the U.S. It will go more than twenty miles further than the Nexo on a single tank.

However, we would love to see the Nexo attempt a hypermile trip. While we doubt the bigger, heavier Nexo could complete a longer journey than the Mirai, it does have a rounded aerodynamic shape that could help it on a long ride. However, until someone attempts it, we’ll never know.