No your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that is an image showing an Olympic athlete running on a treadmill inside a bubble breathing in the emissions of a car.
But there’s a catch – that’s no ordinary vehicle. The car connected to the bubble is a hydrogen-powered Hyundai NEXO, which emits only water vapor.
Hyundai said its NEXO doesn’t emit contaminating particles, it emits only clean water vapor and purifies the air while driving, filtering 99.9% of the ultra-fine particles in the process.
Hyundai Motor Spain launched the extreme campaign, which features brand ambassador and sportswoman Mireia Belmonte, earlier this month to demonstrate how clean and environmentally friendly hydrogen technology is.
Belmonte admitted she found the challenge surprising and did not hesitate to take in Hyundai’s breathtaking proposition to show how far hydrogen technology can go.
“I was invited to take on a challenge where I would breathe in emissions straight from the NEXO’s exhaust,” she said. “Obviously, this is not an average car, and nor are its emissions.”
“At first I was shocked by this concept, but now I can say that it is one of the most amazing projects I have participated in. Getting involved in this process, to show the effects of inhaling straight emissions from a Hyundai NEXO, i.e. water vapor and oxygen, was an incredible challenge that I am proud to have been a part of.”
“Without a doubt, it is vitally important to continue supporting brands such as Hyundai so that they continue to be innovative and create a better future for everyone.”
In order to achieve maximum impact and show off the technology’s positive effects, Hyundai collaborated closely with the National Hydrogen Center and the Camde Sports Medical Center in Spain. Together, they offered support to ensuring the filming went safely, as well as providing testimonials for the making-of film.
Mónica Sánchez Delgado, Head of the Applied Engineering Unit of the National Hydrogen Center in Spain, said hydrogen will be the only possible alternative for large scale energy decarbonisation, adding, “To date, no other alternative is available that, on its own, will enable us to achieve the ambitious but vital decarbonisation targets that have been set in Europe.”
“…we need to give hydrogen visibility and demonstrate that it is a real energy solution. When you talk to the average citizen about hydrogen being used as a car fuel, it seems to be a very distant academic concept or a pipe dream.”
A CNH2 representative considers campaigns such as Hyundai’s vital, which show the unique potential hydrogen and, above all, familiarise society at large with this as yet unknown technology: “Actions like the one Hyundai is taking are totally necessary, since we need to give hydrogen visibility and demonstrate that it is a real energy solution. When you talk to the average citizen about hydrogen being used as a car fuel, it seems to be a very distant academic concept or a pipe dream.”
“This is because the right information is not actually being made available. Plus, the word hydrogen causes suspicion because of two of its characteristics: flammability and volatility. It requires proper handling like all fuels, but not more than using gasoline, diesel or natural gas would. Not surprisingly, today it is being given an unprecedented political and commercial momentum around the world, because in the not too distant future it will be a ‘necessity’.”
