How would you like to get 3 years of complimentary fuel? Well, you can if you lease or purchase a Hyundai Nexo. What is the Hyundai Nexo? It’s Hyundai’s new hydrogen fuel-cell SUV, the only one on the market. It produces zero emissions and motors along as quiet as an electric vehicle. There’s only one catch.

It’s only available in certain locations

That’s right, the 2020 Hyundai Nexo is currently only available in California. While that is unfortunate for every other prospective buyer in the United States, it works well for those that can actually get their hands on one.

If you lease or purchase a Nexo, Hyundai will not only provide complimentary fuel, but you’ll also get 3 years of complimentary maintenance and complimentary car rental for 7 days a year for 3 years. Top all that off with a single-occupancy carpool sticker and a rebate of up to $7,000 and we would say that’s a really good deal!

There’s another catch

All of those incentives are great, however, the car does have a starting price of $58,735 for the base Blue trim level. If you want to opt for the top-level Limited trim, which includes a sunroof, a power liftgate, 360-view camera, blind-spot view monitor, remote parking feature, and an upgraded Krell audio system, then that will increase the price to $62,895.

Did we lose you?

If you’re still with us, great! Now we can tell you more about the car. The Hyundai Nexo competes with other fuel-cell vehicles like the Honda Clarity and the Toyota Mirai. It costs about the same as those cars but it provides more room thanks to its SUV-sized proportions.

The Nexo has ample interior space to fit five adults comfortably; think Hyundai Tucson, only a little bit smaller. The cargo area measures in at 30 cubic feet with the rear seats folded up and 57 cubic feet with them folded down, which is more than enough for a set of golf clubs or luggage.

Interior and exterior

The rest of the interior looks unique from others in the Hyundai line. The upholstery is done up in a vegan-friendly leatherette material and upfront, there’s a two-spoke steering wheel and a 12.3-inch infotainment system. Below that lies a wide center console that houses a multitude of buttons (over 40 of them) including those that put the car in park, neutral, reverse, and drive.

The Nexo’s exterior styling is unlike others in the Hyundai line as well as it exudes the smoothness and curvaceousness that one would expect from a car meant for achieving optimal aerodynamics and fuel economy. The wind-cheating features extend to the door handles, which pop out when the driver walks up to them and lightweight 17-inch wheel fill the wheel wells. Optional 19-inch wheels are available with the Limited trim.

Range and power

To put it in an over-simplified way, the Nexo is basically an electric car that gets its power from a hydrogen fuel cell. Instead of plugging in the car, like a regular electric vehicle, you must go to a hydrogen fuel station and fill the car with hydrogen. The hydrogen then goes through the fuel cell, which mixes it with oxygen and creates the energy that is stored in the battery. When that energy is used by the electric motor that drives the front wheels, it emits water.

The Nexo’s fuel-stack powertrain produces 161 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of torque and can achieve up to 380 miles of range; 354 miles for the heavier Limited trim level.

Is the car worth it?

Technically, yes. Considering all of the aforementioned perks that you get and the satisfaction that you’re doing your part to save the planet, we would say the Nexo worth entry price. There are 44 refilling stations all over California and Hyundai claims that you can get from LA to San Francisco non-stop. So if you consider this car to be just like an electric car that only takes 5 minutes to refuel as opposed to an overnight recharge, we would say this could be a glimpse into the future.