French aeronaut and president of the Solar Impulse Foundation Bertrand Piccard has broken the world record for the longest distance traveled in a hydrogen-powered vehicle on a single refueling. Driving in a Hyundai Nexo, Piccard left the FaHyence hydrogen station in Sarreguemines on November 25, and arrived the next day at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Le Bourget – a distance of 778 km. Never before has a production car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell covered so many kilometers on a single charge.
Piccard was able to take passengers along on this adventure. This was an opportunity for the adventurer and his guests to discover a new generation of car, to share their experiences in terms of environmental protection and to compare their points of view on sustainable development and mobility. In the passenger seat alongside Piccard were: Jean Rottner, President of the Grand Est Region (French); Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; Michel Delpon, MP for the Dordogne and President of the Hydrogen Study Group at National Assembly (French); Benoît Potier, CEO of Air Liquide (French); Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance (French); Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition (French); and H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.
“With this adventure, we have proven that with clean technologies, we no longer need revolutionary experimental prototypes to break records. Everyone can now do it with standard zero-emission vehicles. A new era in performance is beginning, for the benefit of environmental protection,” said Piccard.
“While some may doubt the relevance of hydrogen in tomorrow’s cars, we at Hyundai have believed in it since 1998, when we began our developments on this technology. Thanks to this record, all doubt has been dispelled. As well as being listened to worldwide, Bertrand is a charismatic character who knows better than anyone how to raise awareness of climate issues. We share with him the conviction that it is possible to change our consumption in a sustainable way and hydrogen is an answer to this issue. We see respect for the environment as a vector for growth and not as an obstacle to innovation,” commented Lionel French-Keogh, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor France.
Source: Hyundai
