The vehicle leasing and fleet management company’s Consultancy team took delivery of an ix35 on loan from Hyundai in February, allowing them to gain first-hand experience of this new technology and put it through its paces. 

The firm’s New Vehicle Technology trials have been running for around 18 months. By working closely with the manufacturers they have been able to put the latest models through a standard test route to better understand how they work. This information is then shared with Arval customers as part of the fleet decision-making process. 

The ix35 is the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to form part of the Arval trials. With the ix35, Hyundai aims to match or exceed the performance delivered by more traditional combustion engine vehicles. It delivers a top speed of 99mph and 0-to-62mph in 12.5 seconds. 

To better understand the practicalities that this technology provides, Arval also took the opportunity to refuel the ix35. This provides a significant point of difference from fully electric vehicles as it takes only three minutes to fully fuel delivering a maximum operating range of 369 miles. In comparison, electric vehicles tend to take several hours to charge and deliver a range of less than 100 miles. 

Elliott Woodhead, director of partnerships and SME at Arval, commented: ‘Having driven the ix35 the biggest compliment I can pay Hyundai is to say that the vehicle drove as well as any other vehicle in its class and it was not obvious that this was a different drive train. Hyundai is very clearly at the forefornt of developments in fuel cell technology and this shows clearly through the ix35.' 

He added: ‘It’s crucial that we test the latest vehicles entering the market. This first-hand insight allows us to provide the best and most practical advice to meet the needs of our customers. We are grateful to Hyundai for giving us early access to this exciting new technology.’