Video: Hyundai teases hydrogen sports sedan ahead of unveiling

A new hydrogen-powered sports car could be on the way from Hyundai, with the Korean carmaker teasing a mysterious vehicle in a new video.

The clip shows the Hyundai drifting, suggesting the sedan will be rear-wheel drive and performance oriented – while a snail gets covered in water droplets, which is the only byproduct from a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

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It’s unknown whether the vehicle will initially be shown in concept form or is close to being production-ready, but Albert Biermann, boss of performance arm Hyundai N, has previously indicated a driver-focused hydrogen model was in the pipeline.

“Hydrogen is just a matter of time,” Biermann told Wheels at the 2018 Detroit motor show.

“The time will come when people understand electric vehicles [alone] won’t work. Now we are looking more into EVs, but yes, hydrogen is definitely on the list.”

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It’s not the first time Hyundai has shown off an N-branded hydrogen performance car. In 2015, the manufacturer unveiled its N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo racing concept, sending up to 650kW to four electric motors – theoretically allowing the 975kg car to hit 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

While hydrogen can be used as a fuel to power traditional internal-combustion engines, most hydrogen-powered cars use a fuel-cell to generate electricity and power electric motors.

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In Australia, Hyundai and Toyota have been pursuing hydrogen power as an alternative to fully-electric vehicles, with the car giants opening hydrogen fuelling stations in Canberra and Melbourne respectively.

The mystery performance sedan appeared in a teaser video promoting Hyundai Wave, a new online forum debuting on September 7, 2021, which Hyundai says will “showcase its outlook and blueprints for a future hydrogen society, including breakthrough hydrogen mobility ideas and technologies”.