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First 2019 Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell vehicle delivered

Hyundai's multiple-pronged approach to electrification is helping the automaker to cover its bases as we move away from carbon-emitting internal combustion vehicles. It is entering the long-range battery-electric vehicle game with the Kona EV, and it is following up on its hydrogen strategy with the 2019 Nexo, which replaces the Tucson Fuel Cell. We've had a couple of opportunities to sample the Nexo fuel-cell crossover, and now it's making its way into the garages of the general public; Hyundai has delivered the first Nexo to a customer in California. The first Hyundai Nexo customer is Ventura resident Todd Hochrad, who took delivery from Keyes Hyundai in Van Nuys. The former scientist is no stranger to electrification, having owned hybrid and battery electric vehicles in the past. Now he'll be able to enjoy emissions-free driving (well, apart from the clean water byproduct) as well as the convenience of quick fill-ups at the hydrogen fueling station. Customers in California can buy a Hyundai Nexo for a starting MSRP of $58,300. Hyundai also offers a 36-month lease: The Nexo Blue goes for $399 a month, while the Limited leases for $449. The Nexo is eligible for a $5,000 tax credit from the state of California, and customers also receive a year of free maintenance and fueling cards good for the first three years of ownership. We've had the opportunity to drive the Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell SUV, and found it to be a pleasant drive — calm, quiet and comfortable, with a quality interior and robust driver-assist technologies. It's a shame that our limited hydrogen-fueling infrastructure will keep this car limited to certain regions in the U.S., primarily San Francisco and Southern California, for now. Related Video:

Race Recap: The Lion roars at 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is in the books, and so are a lot of new records. It was a 16-hour workday for drivers and spectators, and we spent almost 12 of that at 14,110 feet trying to stay hydrated and sane. The biggest news has already made it around the world, that being Sébastien Loeb's run of 8:13, one most people are convinced will stand for some time unless another manufacturer wants to shower money on the mountain.
As always, however, a million other things took place on that sliver of road named for Lt. Zebulon Pike. For the complete race results you can still catch the live timing info here. For our report on the day, read on...

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq fuel economy numbers are official, and impressive

Thanks to the EPA's handy fuel economy reference site, fueleconomy.gov, we now know exactly how the three versions of the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq did in fuel economy testing. The EPA tested all three versions: the hybrid Ioniq, the plug-in hybrid Ioniq Blue, and the self-explanatory Ioniq Electric. For reference, the 2017 Toyota Prius is no slouch, getting 50 mpg highway, 54 in the city, and 52 combined according to EPA testing. Now let's compare to the Ioniq, which in regular form gets 54 highway, 55 city, and 55 combined. It bests the traditional hybrid Prius most significantly on the highway. The plug-in Blue achieved 59 highway, 57 city, for a combined 58 mpg rating. As we mentioned in our earlier deep dive on the Ioniq range, the plug-in will also do 31 miles on electricity alone. As suspected, the range of the Ioniq Electric is going to be an issue for the company. The EPA confirmed the range to be 124 miles in total, returning an MPGe rating of 122 highway, 150 city, and 136 combined. We know that Hyundai is self-conscious of the range of the initial model, which looks unimpressive compared to the crop of 200-plus-mile range EVs coming to market soon, like the Bolt. Hyundai recently told Automotive News that a 200-mile range version will be coming quickly, by 2018, so the Electric won't be hobbled for too long. As long as we're comparing it to the Bolt, it should be noted that the MPGe numbers are better, even if the total range isn't. The Bolt is only good for 110 highway, 128 city, and 119 combined MPGe – to put it another way, the Ioniq Electric consumes 25 kWh per 100 miles, while the Bolt consumes 28. A small difference, to be sure, but worth noting. Don't forget that there's a fourth Ioniq out there, which we rode in recently, although it's notably mainly for its autonomous tech rather than its drivetrain. Related Video: Tip: Ramsy Shuffield Green Hyundai Fuel Efficiency Hatchback Electric Hybrid