Hyundai Initium Hydrogen Concept Shows Where Design Is Headed Next

It’s powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that provides a maximum range of 404 miles. And it can power your home.

• This new Hyundai close-to-production concept called the Initium previews an upcoming 2025 fuel-cell electric crossover.
• It also shows what we can expect from Hyundai's new "Art of Steel" design language.
• The Initium will likely be the de-facto replacement for the Nexo FCEV crossover.

Hyundai is changing its design language again, even though it didn’t even get to implement its last one across its entire global lineup. The new styling direction, which is called “Art of Steel,” looks like an evolution of what Hyundai has been doing with its Ioniq range of models with a bit more of a retro influence. And it will be previewed by a hydrogen-powered concept that not only looks interesting but can do some interesting things.

That concept is called the Hyundai Initium, which will be unveiled at the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Powering the concept is a hydrogen fuel cell system that runs a 201 horsepower motor and it gives the Initium a claimed range of 404 miles (650 km) on one tank. That’s more than its predecessor, the Nexo, which could only manage 378 miles (609 km) and had 40 horsepower less.

Hyundai actually intends to produce the Initium starting in 2025, presumably as a replacement for the Nexo FCEV introduced in 2018, which in turn served as a replacement for the iX35 FCEV. Just like its hydrogen fuel cell predecessors, which only sold a couple thousand cars a year globally at best (most of them in South Korea), the Initium FCEV won’t be an important model for Hyundai on the world stage. But it will be important from a technology perspective—Hyundai, along with a few other automakers, aren't giving up on hydrogen fuel cells even as they invest vastly more resources into battery EVs.

The Initium’s design is pretty bold, with excellent proportions, bulging wheel arches and simple fascias that feature light clusters with a pixel-like design. The C-pillar area must have been inspired by the Pontiac Aztek, because it looks very similar, including its slanted fastback-style rear glass. The concept’s 21-inch wheels feature aerodynamic covers to help reduce drag, but they also look pretty sporty as far as aero wheels go.

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According to Hyundai’s design boss, SangYup Lee, "Our challenge began from the manufacturing stage, where we pushed the formability of steel to the extreme to create a form of art. With Initium, we’ve crafted a more SUV-like design that is both solid and safe, reflecting our dedication to our customers through 'customer-centric design’.” Hyundai is getting ready to reveal an updated version of the Ioniq 6, which may incorporate some elements of the “Art of Steel” design.

While much of the focus for hydrogen power has turned to commercial vehicles, large trucks and industrial applications, Hyundai is one of the few automakers that thinks it could have legs for passenger cars. The Koreans are committed to keeping hydrogen in the lineup as a way to help them achieve the goal of meeting its net zero carbon goals by 2045.

The manufacturer doesn’t say if the Initium is built on a new platform or a modified version of an existing one, but like Hyundai’s EVs, it will have bidirectional charging with vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) capabilities. A Hyundai official told Car and Driver that the Initium's 100 kWh of offboard juice is "enough to power a typical Korean home for around 10 days."

Will buyers warm up to this hydrogen vehicle more than others? As always, that may depend on the infrastructure, but at least the Initium has route-planning for that as well. Let's hope it will actually have stations to find when it goes on sale.