Hyundai is reaching out to enter the Northern California market with its Tucson fuel-cell vehicle amid woes of inoperative hydrogen pumps stymying renters down state.
"The company is beginning to solicit for extra dealer coverage in Bay Region," Hyundai Motor America CEO, Dave Zuchowski said.
According to Wards Auto, only three Hyundai sellers in the Southern California cities of Tustin, Carson, and Anaheim lease the Tucson FCV - the Best Engines winner of 2015. This attributes to the proximity of traders to the widely reachable refilling stations.
The hydrogen-powered Tucson remains confined to the lower part of the United States despite being available in the country for a year. Seemingly, the fuel-cell refilling problem is central to the relegation.
However, the company is optimistic that several hydrogen stations will come up in the Golden State by the close of this year - increasing from seven to about sixteen. Overriding these expectations are reports about the Orange County Pumps that should be functional, but mostly do not work or release hydrogen gradually.
Last week, Tucson FCV driver Paul Berkam from Corona del Mar, CA indicated that he had not used his vehicle for more than a month because three hydrogen pumps nearby have been dysfunctional, Green Car Reports unveiled. Other comments on a Tucson FCV personal Facebook expressed frustration paying $499 monthly for cars they rarely drive, with some of the considering to return the vehicle to the company.
Hyundai may find it challenging to enter the Northern California market unless the fueling woes find a lasting solution. Zuchowski blames the fueling woes on the changing of the initially private hydrogen pumps that were never meant for commercial purposes.
There seems to be blame game in the industry concerning the fueling woes. Reacting to the Green Car Reports, the California Air Resources Board mandating car manufacturer sell a specific percentage of Zero-emission vehicles in the country blames a "transitional stage" of infrastructure improvement for the undependable refilling and vendors novel stations coming online, comprising 10 in "active construction."
Therefore, the fueling conflict appears to threaten the already slow rate of Tucson FCV leases, if not FCV adoption in entirety.