Hyundai’s flagship SUV goes electric. According to sources, Hyundai is launching an electric Santa Fe and a new electric pickup truck for the United States, but that’s not all. This is what to expect from Hyundai’s new electric vehicles.
The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s best-selling SUV in the United States. Hyundai sold more than 6,5,600 Santa Fe models in July, more than double the IONIQ five (22,144) and 6 (7,690) combined.
Although Hyundai is expected to launch an electric Santa Fe, it may not be what you imagine. On Tuesday, industry sources revealed (via KED Global) that Hyundai is developing a next-generation powertrain for extended-range electric cars (EREV).
The formula includes a fuel-based propulsion system to make the size of an electric vehicle larger. An electric generator charges the vehicle’s battery, allowing for a longer life.
Hyundai recently established a new “xEV system” progression team in Korea. Sources familiar with the matter said Yang Heui-won, head of R&D at Hyundai Motor Group, would lead the project.
The first models, Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Genesis GV70, are expected to get this generation in the next two to three years.
After that, Hyundai and Kia electric pickup trucks will also gain advantages from EREV drivetrains. Their launch is expected to begin in 2028 or 2029. Reports claim that the new EV pickups will have a range of more than 330 miles (530 km).
Hyundai aims to “capture” the pickup truck market in the United States, according to a Naver report last week.
The report claims that Hyundai completed the teardown of the Tesla Cybertruck last month as it was ready to enter the US market. A Ford F-150 Lightning was also seen with Korean license plates near the Hyundai facility last month.
Based on S-log data
Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz pickup, sales are down 10% this year. Last year, Santa Cruz ranked 12th in pickup truck sales in the United States, with 36,675 models delivered.
With 2. 86 million units sold in the United States last year, truck sales nearly doubled those of full-size sedans at 1. 56 million.
Hyundai will compete with Ford’s F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram for a percentage of the United States pickup truck market.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor, adding Kia and Genesis, accounted for 10% of the U. S. EV market. U. S. through July. Hyundai is the second best-selling electric vehicle ahead of Ford (7. 4%) and GM (6. 3%), as it seeks. to close the hole with Tesla (49. 7%).
Hyundai is investing heavily in the American market. Its large Metaplant in Georgia, valued at $7. 6 billion, will open later this year.
Electric cars produced at the plant are expected to be eligible for the $7,500 vehicle tax credit, as Hyundai looks to get forward of its U. S. competitors.
Hyundai is also expected to unveil its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, until the end of the year.
I don’t know about everyone here, but I went completely electric for two reasons. The first is the expectation of reliability based on the simplicity of the electric vehicle’s propulsion system. Obviously, the EV powertrain has absolutely no problems, but I expect it to have fewer problems than the much more confusing ICE powertrain.
So adding an ICE engine, even if it’s a generator, complicates things and makes it much less reliable. Electric cars have problems with batteries and inverters, combustion engines have problems with engines and transmissions, hybrids have problems with all of the above.
Second, I really appreciate not having to worry about fuel. Although I make 250-mile one-way trips each week, the battery is almost sufficient, unless it snows in the winter, when the car has to drive through the brush. Then I have to prevent in the compressor, but the time stored at any other time more than makes up for it.
With this solution, I have to worry about fuel, and in another way: since the ICE engine is expected to almost never be used, I have to make sure that the gasoline does not go bad. The typical fuel not stabilized with ethanol is smart for a few months, stabilized or without ethanol, for a year. So I stabilize the fuel or worry about burning it every few months.
I don’t think this platform is for me. . .
It’s appealing to see that the report claims that Hyundai is introducing EVE due to considerations around EVs and charging infrastructure. According to the Department of Energy and the EPA, Hyundai already has 8 of the top ten energy-efficient electric cars in the United States this year. year.
Since EREVs are still supplied with internal combustion engines, this generation will be phased out as propulsion systems and 100 percent EV batteries advance.
Will EREVs hurt Hyundai in the U. S. ? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: KED Global
Peter Johnson covers the automotive industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is an experienced investor, an enthusiast of money and electric vehicles. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, mainly Tesla, is one of the main reasons why he pursued a career in the investment space. If he doesn’t tell you about his latest discoveries in the 10K, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or running.