News: Hyundai-Kia’s Future Is Electric Powertrains

Korean Company Pushes Hard with EVs

Only a decade ago, the words “Hyundai” and “Kia” were recognized strictly by fans of recycled Mitsubishi technology, and people who love hamsters. However, recently Korean giant Hyundai-Kia has made its presence felt in the automotive world with sales, quality rankings and technology. Now, it looks to make an even bigger splash with electric vehicles (EVs).

In a statement, Hyundai-Kia announced that it will spotlight electric vehicles as the main focus of its brand. This announcement comes following the recent U.S. launch of the Ioniq EV, and tease of the upcoming Niro EV.

“We’re strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles,” Lee Kwang-guk, executive vice president of Hyundai Motors, recently told a news conference.

According to various reports, Hyundai is planning to release an EV sedan under its luxury brand, Genesis, with an estimated range of more than 300 miles per charge. Also in the works, is an all-electric version of the Kona crossover, which will have an estimated range of about 240 miles, and may be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.

Dedicated EV Platform

According to a Reuters report, Hyundai also confirmed that it is developing its first dedicated electric vehicle platform, likely to be first seen in the upcoming Kona EV. The new platform will allow the company to produce multiple EV models with longer driving ranges.

The announcement of these new EV vehicles–as well as three others that have not yet been detailed–brings Hyundai-Kia’s projected eco-friendly vehicle count up to 31 models by 2020; nine more than it had 2014.

This focus on EV technology is hardly surprising as the market continues to shift in that direction. With Tesla launching its Model 3 and General Motors boosting the range its EVs, the question has to be: Will the Koreans be able to offer, not just an alternative EV, but a range of game-changing EVs? We’ll be keeping tabs on every development.

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