Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday that it has delivered 15 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to Denmark in the top South Korean automaker’s first such sale after it began assembly-line production of zero-emission cars in February.

Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, plans to use hydrogen fuel cell versions of Hyundai’s popular Tucson ix sport utility vehicle as official vehicles, Hyundai said.

Copenhagen City officials were not immediately reached for comment on late Monday.

The move comes three months after a European Commission-backed body selected ix fuel cell electric cars to be test driven by key European Union officials this year to demonstrate the real-world benefits of hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

A fuel-cell car only emits water vapor as it converts stored hydrogen into electricity, which turns the vehicle’s motor, a technological advance that could eventually reduce the heavy reliance on internal combustion engines that produce greenhouse gases, largely responsible for global warming.

Hyundai said ix fuel-cell cars can travel 594 kilometers on a single charge, and its maximum speed is 160 kph.

Hyundai said it plans to sell 1,000 units of its ix fuel-cell cars around the world by 2015 for official use by governments and public agencies.

The carmaker declined to give any details on the price of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, noting ordinary citizens are not their intended customers. (Yonhap News)