news

True price of Hyundai Nexo hydrogen cars: Australian fleet trial vehicles cost taxpayers close to $100,000 each

The lease price of the Hyundai Nexo in Australia has been a closely guarded secret, but new figures show the fleet trial vehicles will cost $99,000 each over three years – and then be handed back.


Each Hyundai Nexo hydrogen car being used in Australian fleet trials of the future technology will reportedly cost taxpayers $99,000 over three years – or $2750 per month – which is more than the repayments on most luxury cars.

And once the fleet trial ends, the hydrogen vehicles will be returned to Hyundai rather than sold by the government as a used car to recoup some of the cost.

Furthermore, the figures show Hyundai Nexo hydrogen vehicles cost more than the Toyota Mirai hydrogen car being used in Melbourne fleet trials.

Toyota Australia’s hydrogen car lease program to specialist fleet operators costs $63,000 over three yearsor $1750 per monthincluding fuel.

Figures obtained by Queensland newspaper The Courier Mail revealed taxpayers in the Sunshine State will pay $495,000 over three years for five Hyundai Nexo hydrogen vehicles. 

Hyundai’s loan or lease program works out to be $99,000 over three years or $2750 per month for each car.

Unlike most other government fleet vehicles – which recoup a portion of their cost when sold as a used car – the Hyundai Nexo hydrogen SUVs will be handed back to the car company.

Brisbane is poised to become the next capital city to roll out a fleet trial of hydrogen cars, after hydrogen refuelling stations opened in Melbourne and Canberra in late March 2021.

Toyota is running a fleet trial of 20 vehicles out of Melbourne and Hyundai is involved in a fleet trial of 20 vehicles out of Canberra.

Brisbane is due to open a hydrogen refuelling station by the end of this year, with five Hyundai Nexo vehicles due to be used in the fleet trial in the Sunshine State.

The cost of Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fleet trial vehicles in Queensland and Canberra had previously been shrouded in secrecy.

While the cost of the 20 Hyundai Nexo hydrogen cars (pictured below) involved in the Canberra fleet trial has not be revealed, it is unlikely to differ greatly, if at all, from Queensland’s pricing.

Supporters of the advanced technology say such trials are designed to help make the rollout of hydrogen cars more affordable in the years ahead and potentially expedite their introduction, after learning how the vehicles operate in the daily grind in the hands of fleet users.

However it could be some time before hydrogen vehicles are priced within reach of average car buyers.

As a guide, in the UK a Hyundai Nexo is listed at £69,500, which equates to AU$124,000.

An entry-level Toyota Mirai is listed as starting from £49,995, which equates to AU$89,500 based on exchange rates as this article was published.

To date, Toyota and Hyundai are the only two vehicle manufacturers in Australia involved in real-world fleet trials of hydrogen cars. 

Hyundai was the first brand to commence public trials locally, formally launching its program on Friday 26 March 2021 in Canberra, while Toyota's hydrogen-car fleet trial (pictured above) officially started on Monday 29 March 2021 in Melbourne

A Brisbane hydrogen-car fleet trial is due to start by the end of 2021, though exact timing is yet to be confirmed.

MORE:Hyundai Showroom
MORE:Hyundai News
MORE:Hyundai Reviews
MORE:Hyundai NEXO Showroom
MORE:Hyundai NEXO News
MORE:Hyundai NEXO Reviews
MORE:Search Used Hyundai Cars for Sale
MORE:Hyundai Showroom
MORE:Hyundai News
MORE:Hyundai Reviews
MORE:Hyundai NEXO Showroom
MORE:Hyundai NEXO News
MORE:Hyundai NEXO Reviews
MORE:Search Used Hyundai Cars for Sale
Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

Read more about Joshua DowlingLinkIcon
Chat with us!







Chat with Agent