The South Korean car manufacturer plans to wow visitors at the international car show with a new concept car powered by a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell engine.
The Intrado, which will be unveiled to the public at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, is directly inspired by aviation engineering, in terms of both the technology and the materials used. The body panels, for example, are made of shock-absorbing ultra-light steel, while carbon fiber is used for the doors, the engine hood and the tailgate.
But the Intrado's real innovation is found under the hood. The vehicle runs on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine with a 36kWh Li-ion battery. As a result of this technology, the concept car can be recharged in a matter of just minutes and has a range of 600km. Moreover, the engine only emits water, meaning that it is completely environmentally friendly.
This is not Hyundai's first endeavor in the realm of hydrogen motors: the carmaker has been producing its ix35 Fuel Cell in South Korea since 2013. The concept car was designed and developed primarily at the brand's European R&D center in Rüsselsheim (Germany).
The Intrado stands out as the first concept car inspired by Hyundai's latest design language, dubbed "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0." The name of the new concept is in keeping with its aviational inspiration: "intrados" refers to the inferior side of a plane's wing, which produces lift and allows the craft to fly.
The 84th Geneva Motor Show takes place from March 6 to 16 at Palexpo in Geneva.
