![](\"https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/03\/2023-03-Newsletter-signup-graphic-free-daily-delivery.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nHyundai Motor Group has been on a battery-electric car roll of late, highlighted by a newly announced EV battery joint venture to support its forthcoming megafactory in Georgia. Nevertheless, the Korean automaker is still determined to make fuel cell cars happen. The latest development is the fuel cell hybrid electric N Vision 74 sports car, a riff on the company\u2019s iconic 1974 Pony Coupe Concept car. It may be going into production soon \u2014 or not, as the case may be.<\/p>\n
Which Came First, The Fuel Cell Pony Car Or The Cybertruck?<\/h3>\n
Before we get into the tech details of the N Vision 74, let\u2019s take a look at the distinctive styling. Hyundai attributes the N Vision 74 design inspiration to the Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created the sleek, futuristic look of the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept car back in the 20th century.<\/p>\n
Take a look at Giugiaro\u2019s 1974 version:<\/p>\n
” data-image-caption=”<\/p>\n
This 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept car provided the design inspiration for Hyundai\u2019s new N Vision 74 fuel cell car.<\/p>\n
” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-400×206.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-800×411.jpg” decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-296822″ src=”https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept.jpg” alt=”hyundai 1974 pony coupe concept car” width=”1600″ height=”822″ srcset=”https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-400×206.jpg 400w, https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-800×411.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-768×395.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/05\/hyundai-1974-pony-coupe-concept-1536×789.jpg 1536w” sizes=”(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px”><\/a><\/p>\n
This 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept car provided the design inspiration for Hyundai\u2019s new N Vision 74 fuel cell car (photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group via prnewsire.com).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Does that resemble a Tesla Cybertruck? Just asking. If you have any thoughts about that, drop us a note in the comment thread.<\/p>\n
You may notice one obvious difference right off the bat. The B-Pillar, which is the vertical support that typically stands just to the rear of the driver\u2019s seat, is practically a no-show in the Cybertruck. In contrast, the new N Vision 74 sports a solid B Pillar in homage to the original 1974 design.<\/p>\n
The Hyundai N Vision 74 Fuel Cell Car<\/h3>\n
Aside from partially sharing a design aesthetic, the Hyundai N Vision 74 and the Cybertruck are both electric vehicles. That\u2019s where the similarities end. The Cybertruck deploys a battery pack for locomotion, while the N Vision 74 incorporates fuel cell technology for additional propulsion and improved performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cPower is provided by an 85 kW hydrogen fuel cell stack on the front, a 62 kWh lithium-ion battery between the driver and the passenger, and two 2.1 kg hydrogen tanks on the rear to provide a driving distance of nearly 600 km,\u201d Hyundai explained in a press release dated May 20.<\/p>\n
The N Vision began to take shape several years ago and it slipped under the CleanTechnica<\/em> radar. We caught wind of it after Hyundai featured the fuel cell car in the company\u2019s debut appearance at the Concorso d\u2019Eleganza Villa d\u2019Este classic and prototype car show earlier in May, where it created quite a stir.<\/p>\n The N Vision is part of Hyundai\u2019s \u201cRolling Labs\u201d series, which Hyundai described as its platform for testing and verifying advanced technologies. In other words, it is apparently not heading into production as such. Hyundai emphasized that the Rolling Labs series is aimed at future production models, in support of its \u201cambition to become a leader in the zero-tailpipe-emissions future<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Hyundai sure seemed up for teasing a launch. \u201cN Vision 74 is a culmination of Hyundai\u2019s heritage design, state-of-the-art technology and N brand\u2019s emotional high performance, representing Hyundai N\u2019s long-term vision for a sustainable high-performance future beyond electrification,\u201d the company enthused.<\/p>\n The mixed signals from Hyundai could be behind a rumor that cropped up a few weeks ago, when the Korean publication Money Today<\/em> scooped news that the N Vision 74 is heading for production<\/a>.<\/p>\n The global automotive media quickly picked up on the story. One representative example was Car and Driver<\/em>, which reported that \u201cone of the coolest concept cars<\/a> in recent history could be making its way to production.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hyundai N Vision 74 concept was an instant hit when it was revealed last year as part of the automaker\u2019s \u2018N Day\u2019 event held in South Korea. A report today by a Korean news outlet claims Hyundai has greenlit the concept for production, and that the company will make an official announcement on May 27,\u201d Car and Driver<\/em> added.<\/p>\n Car and Driver<\/em> cautioned that the Money Today<\/em> article did not include solid sourcing, and May 27 has come and gone, so anyone excited by the prospect of a production version of the N Vision 74 will have to wait and see what happens.<\/p>\n If Hyundai can pull off a production version of the N Vision 74, there still remains the question of selling it. That\u2019s a good question. Fuel cell cars are beginning to edge into various markets around the globe, but the going has been slow, especially here in the US. Hyundai has been attempting to get a leg up through a collaboration with the US Department of Energy<\/a>, but so far not much has come of it.<\/p>\n Looking beyond sedans, though, the picture looks a bit more promising for US sales of fuel cell EVs. Honda, for example, is banking on a new fuel cell electric hybrid<\/a> SUV for the US market, based on its popular CR-V. The plan is to include a plug-in feature for battery-powered driving in addition to the fuel cell.<\/p>\n Honda appears to be treading carefully. The fuel cell hybrid will be produced at its small-batch factory in Marysville, Ohio, indicating that the company may be eyeballing the fleet market and luxury markets instead of trying to appeal to everyday drivers.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Hyundai is getting ready to roll its XCIENT fuel cell truck into the US. If all goes according to plan, the US will be the sixth market for the XCIENT since Hyundai first introduced it in 2020. Hyundai calculates that truck drivers in Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Korea, and New Zealand have logged more than 4 million miles on the vehicle so far.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the only heavy-duty fuel cell electric model with a proven record of real-world application<\/a> and technological reliability,\u201d Hyundai emphasizes.<\/p>\n Hyundai better not let the grass grow under its feet. Activity in the heavy duty truck area<\/a> has been starting to pick up in the US, with even the on-again, off-again US electric truck startup Nikola<\/a> potentially leading the charge.<\/p>\n In past years, the auto industry had to rely on natural gas as the primary source of hydrogen for fuel cells, which cast a gloomy cloud of unsustainability over the technology.<\/p>\n The recent emergence of a market for green hydrogen from water<\/a> provides fuel cell stakeholders with an opportunity to break free from fossil sources. That assumes supply can catch up to demand, including demand from steel making and other industries<\/a> as well as transportation.<\/p>\n That remains to be seen, but keep an eye out for the latest developments in new \u201cartificial leaf\u201d research<\/a> that could help resolve the green hydrogen supply issue, eventually.<\/p>\n No more Trainwreck Twitter<\/span>. Find me on <\/em>Spoutible: @TinaMCasey<\/em><\/a> or LinkedIn @TinaMCasey or Mastodon @Casey or Post: @tinamcasey<\/em><\/p>\n Photos (both cropped):<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Hyundai \u201cRolling Laboratory\u201d N Vision 74<\/a> fuel cell car courtesy of Hyundai.<\/em><\/p>\n 2. 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept car<\/a> courtesy of Hyundai via prnewswire.<\/em><\/p>\n Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica<\/a> on email. Or follow us on Google News<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n I don’t like paywalls. You don’t like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong \u2014 and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don’t like paywalls, and so we’ve decided to ditch ours.<\/em> Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It’s a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps \u2014 gasp<\/strong> \u2014 grow. So … Hyundai Motor Group has been on a battery-electric car roll of late, highlighted by a newly announced EV battery joint venture to support its forthcoming megafactory in Georgia. Nevertheless, the Korean automaker is still determined to make fuel cell cars happen. The latest development is the fuel cell hybrid electric N Vision 74 sports car, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3273,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529\/revisions\/3273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/green\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Don\u2019t Hold Your Breath\u2026<\/h3>\n
\u2026Unless You\u2019re In The Market For A Fuel Cell Truck<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2023\/04\/2023-04-CT-Subscribe-banner-v1.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat About The Hydrogen?<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\nFormer Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era \u2014 Podcast:<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n<\/em><\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/ins>
\n<\/center> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"