Hyundai N Vision 74

The N Vision 74 is one of the most talked-about cars Hyundai N has ever shown. Hyundai calls it a rolling lab: a working test bed for future high-performance technology, wrapped in a shape that looks back to the 1974 Pony Coupe concept.

The hardware

This is not a conventional battery EV. A hydrogen fuel cell stack of up to 95 kW sits at the front, and a 62.4 kWh battery with 800-volt fast-charging capability sits low in the car. Two motors drive the rear wheels, one per wheel, so torque can be managed side to side. Hyundai quotes more than 500 kW, more than 900 Nm, a top speed above 250 km/h and a range of more than 600 km. Its 4.2 kg of hydrogen can be refuelled in around five minutes. These are Hyundai's published concept figures.

Built for the track

Hyundai says it separated the fuel cell stack from the motors to improve airflow and cooling control. The stack, battery and power electronics each have their own cooling system, which helps the car keep performing on a circuit. An integrated control system balances power between the fuel cell and the battery.

Why it matters

The N Vision 74 asks a different question from the rest of the directory: what if electric performance did not depend only on a big battery and a charger? Hydrogen and battery power working together, plus that unmistakable retro wedge, make it one of the most interesting electric-drive performance cars around, even as a rolling lab.