2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Will Be Powered by Californians’ Shit

The all-new Subaru Legacy production model may look like shit, but at least it won’t run on shit. The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell crossover, however, will.

It all involves a complex process, developed by scientists at UC Irvine’s National Fuel Cell Research Center, which extracts hydrogen from human waste. It works a little like this. The solid waste is separated from the water and fed to microbes that convert the shit into methane and CO2. Those gases are then collected, filtered and sent to a dozen pumps spread throughout Southern California where Tucson Fuel Cell owners can fill up.

A couple of shit-consuming, fuel-producing microbes.

It may not sound like the most appealing process in the world, but future Tucson owners aren’t likely to give a shit, as Hyundai estimates that a full tank will be good for roughly 300 miles. Even better, maintenance, as well as the cost of refueling at the pumps, is included with every lease.

Hyundai says that after a down payment of $2,999, the monthly payments for a three-year lease will be $499. It sounds a bit steep for a lease payment, but when you consider the fact that the fuel is free, the price sounds quite reasonable. Apparently I’m not the only one that thinks so, either.

Last month, the automaker claimed that 90,000 people had viewed the website explaining the lease program. How many of those people are expressing interest in leasing the shit-fueled vehicle is still unknown, but as the program sounds pretty beneficial, I would imagine that the Tucson Fuel Cell will find a great deal of success. We will find out when the 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell arrives this spring.

As disgusting as the whole process may sound, this could really be a big step for hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Los Angeles residents will serve as the guinea pigs for the idea, but if reception is positive, it’s likely that the shit of every American could eventually serve as the fuel of the future.