Hyundai Motor to expand eco-friendly lineup

Hyundai Motor executives pose with the company's next-generation fuel cell electric vehicle during an unveiling event at the 63 Convention Center on Yeouido, Seoul, August. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyundai Motor Group is set to expand its eco-friendly vehicle lineup to 38 models by 2025.

Hyundai Motor Senior Vice President Lee Ki-sang said during a recent seminar at the Hyundai Motor Studio Seoul that the nation’s top carmaker group has established a plan to develop 38 eco-friendly car models by 2025. It currently has 14 such models in its lineup.

Citing automotive market researcher MarkLines, Lee added Hyundai Motor and its sister brand Kia Motors took second place in sales in the global eco-friendly auto market following Japan’s Toyota during the January-to-September period this year.

They were second in the European market and third in the U.S. The carmakers’ global electric vehicle (EV) sales also grew 136 percent this year, making them the world’s sixth-largest EV producer.

“Thanks to governments’ green policies, the global eco-friendly vehicle market is expected to grow into a 16.27 million cars market by 2025,” Lee said.

“In a bid to settle market uncertainty, Hyundai Motor Group will have various eco-friendly vehicles such as fuel-cell, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles as well as battery electric vehicle to meet future demand.”

During an auto event in August, Hyundai Motor first unveiled its next-generation fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) that will feature the latest technologies in fuel cell electric systems and connected cars.

The official said it will also reveal a new level of technology in efficiency, performance and durability, greatly improved from its existing Tucson FCEV.

The FCEV model aims to travel 580 kilometers on a full charge while producing a maximum 163 horsepower. Its performance is expected to be a 20 percent improvement over the Tucson.

Thanks to the carmaker's highly durable core auto parts, drivers can start the new FCEV model's engine even at minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Confident of the model's durability, Hyundai Motor offers a 10-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty.

Rise of FCEV

Unlike an EV that uses batteries to power its motor, an FCEV uses oxygen from the air and compressed hydrogen to generate electricity to power the motor. Most FCEVs are classified as zero-emission vehicles that emit only water and heat.

Another advantage of FCEVs is that they just need hydrogen as fuel from a charge station, as each one has an internal power generator called a fuel cell stack. It takes several minutes to charge an FCEV, while a high-capacity EV takes more than 10 hours to fully charge its battery.

In recognition of such advantages, the government is promoting such models.

During her recent visit to Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, for example, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee got around in a Tucson.

According to the ministry, Kim has relied on the FCEV since she took office in May. She reportedly uses the eco-friendly SUV when she commutes to and from Sejong, around 120 kilometers south of Seoul.