State Farm® Agent Drives First Mass-Produced Hydrogen Car

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 — He did it for his daughter and it all started with an email. That's the essence of the story of how a mild-mannered family man and long-time ocean lifeguard found himself at the center of one of the most recent innovative automotive stories.

When Newport Beach State Farm agent Tim Bush, an agent with a long lineage in the company, found out that Hyundai was going to start leasing hydrogen cars in the U.S., he thought to himself: cool. So he emailed the automaker showing his interest. Little did he know that the email, would actually end up placing him first on a national list of drivers of the cutting-edge fuel cell Hyundai Tucson.

The event, featuring the handing over of the keys, was covered by national and international media, including Reuters, Bloomberg and UPI, as well as several Korean news outlets.

In addition, a short film was shot chronicling one of the most intense days in Tim's life. The story captures this man's motives to take this first symbolic step: "Generally, cars have always meant four wheels for me in the past. This car truly makes me feel like I'm making decisions that are good for everyone's future, but most importantly, I like to see my daughter realize that I'm making decisions that are best for the environment because she is going to be living in this world long past me." The short film, called "H" is directed by Jordi Ortega.

State Farm agents and the company behind them strive to be at the forefront of technology to provide customers with the insurance backing that they need to support their lifestyles. In fact, Bush wrote the policy for his new hydrogen vehicle the day before he picked it up. State Farm supports the responsible development of vehicle technology that improves auto safety and contributes to a cleaner environment.

With a driving range of 265 miles, the only emission from the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell is water. It drives just like an electric vehicle, and it's just as quiet as an EV. In addition, drivers can apply for HOV lane access.

Tim's car, which he received almost a year ago at the Hyundai Tustin lot, was only the first in Hyundai Motor America (HMA)'s plan to lease Hydrogen Electric fuel cell vehicles (FCV) in the United States. For more information, interested drivers can visit: hyundaiusa.com/tucsonfuelcell/. The website includes a map of hydrogen stations. As of today, drivers of the fuel cell Hyundai Tucson have driven more than half a million zero-emission miles ... and counting.

About Hyundai

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, CA, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report, and in-vehicle service scheduling.