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John Krafcik stepping down as Hyundai CEO, replaced by VP of sales

Hyundai Motor America has announced that its affable president and CEO, John Krafcik, will be stepping down from his post on January 1, at the completion of his contract. He'll be replaced by the current executive vice president of sales, David Zuchowski.
Krafcik has helmed Hyundai through a product renaissance that's seen the Korean automaker go from budget afterthought to household name in less than a decade, launching stylish new models and expanding into new markets. "On behalf of Hyundai Motor Company, we sincerely thank John for his visionary leadership and relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction, which has driven Hyundai's record growth over the past five years," said Im Tak Uk, the COO and executive vice president of HMA's parent company, Hyundai Motor Company.
"It's been a sincere privilege and honor to lead Hyundai Motor America over the past five years, and I am confident that with Dave's succession, our brand will continue to expand and thrive for years to come," said Krafcik in a Hyundai press release, available below. "We have many of the best and brightest employees in the business coupled with a committed and talented dealer network that will continue to pay dividends."

Hyundai, BMW in plant talks with Mexican officials

BMW and Hyundai may be joining the rush for the border that has already seen Nissan, Honda and Mazda begin factory construction in Mexico, while Ford and General Motors have both made significant investments in their Mexican facilities. BMW's interest in Mexico has been apparent for some time, and while we'd heard grumblings about Hyundai's move into Latin America some time ago, the last we heard about it was in 2009.
This new move, reported by Bloomberg, doesn't get specific on which models will be produced south of the Rio Grande, and as neither automakers' spokespeople responded to the business site's request for statements, all we really have to go on are the statements of Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo: "I cannot talk for them, but I think that starting 2014 we'll have new announcements. At least for one." Which manufacturer that will be remains anyone's guess, although judging by all the recent scuttlebutt that's been going around, the smart money seems to be on BMW. We'll stay with this one.

Recharge Wrap-up: Hydrogen Hyundais and Tesla tax breaks

The 70 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cells owned by customers in southern California have driven a cumulative 475,000 miles. "Over the past year, Hyundai's Tucson Fuel Cell owners are showing the world today that this technology represents the next generation of zero-emissions transportation," says Hyundai's Mike O'Brien. "Building momentum for fuel cell vehicles and their real-world applications, these customers are sharing their experiences of how the Tucson fits seamlessly into their daily lives." A new video from Hyundai shares the story of a year of ownership for one such customer. Dave Uselton took delivery of his Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell in June of 2014. Other drivers' experiences have been shared in video on a dedicated website. See the video above, and read more in the press release below. The first of 200 fast charging stations as part of France's Corri-Door project are now operational. The Corri-Door project aims to have all 200 charging points installed by December 2015. The universal chargers can quick charge an electric vehicle to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The first two are now online at the Bosgouet Nord (A13) and Tardenois Nord (A4) service stations. The chargers will be installed along major motorways throughout France at intervals of about 50 miles. Read more in the press release from Renault. California may give Tesla $15 million in tax cuts in exchange for jobs. After losing out on having the state be home to the Gigafactory, Governor Jerry Brown's GO-Biz agency is proposing the tax cuts in order for Tesla to buy equipment and property and create 4,400 jobs in California. In all, GO-Biz is proposing $49.5 million in tax relief to California companies in return for 11,000 new jobs. Last year, California lost out on the Gigafactory when Nevada offered $1.3 billion in tax breaks — an amount Governor Brown said would be unfair to taxpayers. Read more from CBS Sacramento.