Hyundai Santa Fe: On the Road to Becoming the First Environmentally Friendly Sport-Utility

     - New Technology Allows Santa Fe to Travel Farther and Run Cleaner -

    SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 9 Can you imagine driving a car
that doesn't pollute the air?  It sounds like a tale from the future.  But
Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI), along with its partner Quantum
Technologies Worldwide, Inc., are bringing the future a little closer with
major advancements in the world of fuel cells and cutting edge technology that
could power the cars of tomorrow.  They are doing this by filling the hydrogen
storage tank of a fuel cell powered Hyundai Santa Fe to store the clean
hydrogen fuel at the never before reached level of 5,000 pounds per square
inch (psi).
    Until now, no automobile manufacturer has been able to fill a hydrogen
fuel cell vehicle tank to more than 3,600-psi.
    The fuel system developed for the Santa Fe meets the challenging packaging
requirements for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  While increasing the travel
distance with more hydrogen in the same space, the vehicle maintains maximum
safety conditions and allows for minimal intrusion into the cargo and
passenger areas of the Santa Fe.  The hydrogen tank is tucked up, out of the
way so the Santa Fe maintains its 8.1 inches of ground clearance.
    "Hyundai is very proud of the achievement it has made with Quantum
Technologies in the way of fuel cell technology advancement," said Dr. Young
Woo Kim, president of HATCI.  "With the success of the Santa Fe, it made sense
for Hyundai to adapt its hot-selling crossover sport-utility to the cutting
edge world of energy efficient fuel cell vehicles.  By filling our hydrogen
tank to 5,000-psi and increasing range, it brings us that much closer to
producing a vehicle that meets the standards of our customers."
    "A vital issue in bringing fuel cell vehicles to the marketplace is
extending vehicle range -- which requires efficient storage of compressed
hydrogen at a high pressure," according to Syed Hussain, president and CEO of
Quantum.  "This is the principle advantage of the TriShield(TM) tank and the
significance of a 5,000-psi cylinder-fill."
    The packaging of hydrogen is achieved with Quantum's TriShield(TM) tank
technology developed for Hyundai.  The tanks are uniquely designed and
manufactured with a one-piece permeation resistant seamless liner, a carbon
composite over-wrap for strength, and a tough impact-resistant shell.  This
lightweight, rigid design allows for improved range and safety of hydrogen.
The ability to store large amounts of hydrogen in a small amount of space in a
safe tank, even in the event of a collision, is what makes this technology so
unique.
    Hyundai is participating in the California Fuel Cell Partnership
(http://www.cafcp.org), a public-private venture of automakers, energy and fuel cell
technology companies, and government agencies working together to advance the
commercialization of fuel cell-powered vehicles.  The partnership is
headquartered in West Sacramento, California and over the next few years, more
than 60 fuel cell vehicles will undergo road testing in real-world driving
conditions.
    Hyundai Motor America, based in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary
of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.  Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles
are distributed in the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and
serviced through more than 500 dealerships nationwide.