It’s going to put many more eggs in the EV basket than it had done before when it focused mainly on fuel cell tech
Hyundai is not currently a manufacturer associated with electric or electrified vehicles, but that’s all set to change as it embraces the electric trend to a much greater extent than before. According to this article on Reuters, the Korean giant is in the midst of developing an EV platform which will underpin several models.
The report says that while the platform won’t be ready next year, that’s when Hyundai is going to reveal a small crossover that while based on existing underpinnings will be fully-electric.
This news also marks Hyundai’s change of priorities, from being a manufacturer hell-bent on making an affordable hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to now looking to challenge mainstream green competitors. Proof of this was the Ioniq model, which can be had as either a hybrid, plug-in or full EV.
Hyundai’s plan is to launch the EV crossover next year, a model that will soon after be joined by a sibling model from sister brand Kia. Both are to have a range of 300 km / 186 km.
So basically, Hyundai and Kia are all aboard the mainstream battery EV trend, and while some of their electrified models have yet to make a dent in the market (the Ioniq is not a sales hit), others like the Kia Niro are more successful. Eventually, around the year 2021, an all-electric premium Genesis model is expected to debut as well.
Fuel cell electric technology won’t be abandoned, though, and after Hyundai launched its hydrogen model, Kia will get one of its own.