Hyundai ix35 Hydrogen FCEV for £300 a month and free fuel – but only in the U.S.

The hydrogen-powered Hyundai Tucson (the US ix35) is being offered in California for just £300 a month and all the fuel you can use for free.

It’s very early days for cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, not least because there’s very little in the way of a refuelling infrastructure in place.

But car makers are starting to push FCEVs in a bigger way as production costs fall and performance increases, and Hyundai are at the forefront of this move with the hydrogen-powered ix35 and its US equivalent the Hyundai Tucson.

Now, with the ix35 FCEV getting to the point where real buyers will be running them in the real world, Hyundai is making an offer to car buyers in California that will be hard to refuse.

For a modest £300 a month you can get a nice shiny Hyundai Tucson FCEV on a 36 month lease, and Hyundai will throw in all the free hydrogen refuels you need.

For buyers that do any sort of mileage (even at the low petrol prices in the US) it’s got to be a bit of a no-brainer.

The downside is that California’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure – currently the biggest in the States – only runs to 10 outlets, but as FCEVs start to proliferate that’s bound to grow.

The upside is that if you can plan your journey round where you can refuel you’ll only spend the same sort of time filling up as you would in an ICE car, and when the time comes for a service Hyundai will pick up your FCEV, give you a loaner, and bring it back all fettled and clean.

Sadly, it’s highly unlikely Hyundai UK will follow suit with a similar offer, but if they do every company car and high mileage driver in the UK will be clamouring for one.