Leading car manufacturers continue to throw their weight behind plug-in hybrid technology and now Hyundai has announced it will bring its own plug-in vehicle to market in 2012.
The announcement was made by Dr Byungsson Min of Hyundai Motor Company Research and Development Centre as part of the SAE 2010 Hybrid Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego. He announced that company would also be launching a fleet test programme in Korea and the US.
Noting that Hyundai is “late in launching hybrid vehicles”, Dr Min stated that it would be accelerating the introduction of conventional hybrids and noted the Sonata Hybrid would reach the US market later this year. The Sonata is based on Hyundai’s full parallel Hybrid Blue Drive architecture which includes nine major components: an integrated starter generator for stop start; optimised Theta II 2.4litre engine; 30kW electric motor; a regenerative braking system; a six-speed automatic transmission with improved efficiency electric oil pump; 1.4kWh lithium polymer battery pack; hybrid power control unit; electric air conditioning compressor; and weight-efficient architecture with low-drag co-efficient. More details are expected to be revealed about the Hybrid Sonata at the New York International Auto Show in April.
In addition, Hyundai announced the Blue-Will Plug-in Hybrid Concept at the North American International Auto Show in January. The Blue-Will concept uses an all aluminium 152hp petrol direct injected 1.6litre engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. Fuel economy is projected to be 50-55mpg and the vehicle range is 652miles.
Furthermore, Hyundai has announced the introduction of the I-Flow concept at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show on March 2. It is a compact saloon car for the D-segment that utilises a host of technologies from BASF including lightweight materials and solar cells.
