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Hyundai NA CEO Krafcik awarded Automotive Executive of the Year

Hyundai North America CEO John Krafcik is this year's Automotive Executive of the Year. DVN Business Assurance presents the award each year, and this year, Robert Djurovic, executive director of the award program, said Krafcik won the nod because he "reshaped the way Hyundai approaches the market with consumer focus, compelling design and enduring value." While speaking at the award ceremony, Krafcik said that he was humbled by the recognition and that he accepted the accolade on behalf of Hyundai team members, dealers and suppliers.
Krafcik joined Hyundai in 2004 as the vice president of product development and took on duties as chief executive in 2008. Since then, the automaker has seen a flurry of new products and a substantial jump in market share. His efforts have also helmed Hyundai to two North American Car of the Year awards in 2009 and 2012 for the Genesis and Elantra, respectively. Krafcik also helped Hyundai navigate through the company's fuel economy debacle that began late last year, in which the automaker admitted it overstated the efficiency ratings of many of its automobiles.
The Automotive Executive of the Year Award has been recognizing industry leaders since 1964. You can read the full press release below for more information.

Hyundai Kona crossover factory grinds to a halt ahead of U.S. launch

SEOUL — Hyundai workers in South Korea have stopped building the Kona sport utility vehicle this week ahead of its U.S. launch at the L.A. Auto Show — a protest against what the automaker's labor union says are plans to trim assembly-line headcount. The union, which is also in annual talks with management over pay, warned that a wider strike was possible. Hyundai has been in discussions with its labor union since October on production plans for the Kona, a key model that it hopes will reverse a U.S. sales slump. The union contends that the automaker wants to introduce more automation and outsource more assembly of key sections to part makers — plans that it is vehemently opposed to. Hyundai management argues that the union is making "irrelevant demands" such as requests for extra windows in the factory as part of the production discussions. The automaker's decision to start production of the Kona on a new assembly line was made without consultation with the union and was unacceptable, union leader Ha Boo-young said in a statement, adding that a wider strike was possible "should there be another provocation by management." The move comes ahead of a planned unveiling of the U.S.-production version of the Kona at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, with U.S. sales slated to begin early next year. The Kona is currently sold in South Korea, where it has proven to be a popular model, as well as Europe. The two days loss of production so far this week is equivalent to 1,230 vehicles, Hyundai said. Hyundai Motor President Yoon Kap-han said it was regrettable that the labor union was disrupting production for a high-demand model at a time when most of its plants were "suffering from the worst sales slowdown." Hyundai Motor's global sales fell 6 percent from January to September compared with the same period a year earlier, as a limited number of SUV models hurt sales in the U.S. market and a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing hurt sales in China. Reporting by Hyunjoo JinRelated Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Hyundai Kona: LA 2017 View 13 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Hyundai Kona View 20 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Plants/Manufacturing LA Auto Show Hyundai Crossover SUV 2017 LA Auto Show autoworkers

Hyundai confirms a shift to EVs, unveils fuel cell SUV

SEOUL — Hyundai confirmed on Thursday it was placing electric vehicles at the center of its product strategy — one that includes plans for a premium long-distance electric car as it seeks to catch up to Tesla and other rivals. Like Toyota, Hyundai had initially championed fuel cell technology as the future of eco-friendly vehicles but has found itself shifting to electric as Tesla shot to prominence and battery-powered cars have gained government backing in China. Hyundai's debut of its more modestly priced Ionic hybrid and electric has been well-received. But the pure electric's per-charge driving range is much shorter than the Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Bolt. Toyota is now also working on longer-distance, fast-charging electric vehicles. Hyundai first started signaling this strategic shift back in May when it first discussed plans to launch an electric sedan under its high-end Genesis brand in 2021 with a range of 500 km (310 miles) per charge. It will also introduce an electric version of its Kona small crossover with a range of 390 km in the first half of next year. "We're strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles," Executive Vice President Lee Kwang-guk told a news conference, calling the technology mainstream and realistic. The automaker and affiliate Kia, which together rank fifth in global vehicle sales, also said they were adding three plug-in vehicles to their plans for eco-friendly cars, bringing the total to 31 models by 2020. Underscoring Hyundai's electric shift, those plans include eight battery-powered and two fuel-cell vehicles — a contrast to its 2014 announcement for 22 models, of which only two were slated to be battery-powered. Hyundai also confirmed a Reuters report that it is developing its first scaleable, dedicated electric vehicle platform, which will allow the company to produce multiple models with longer driving ranges. HYDROGEN SUV Hyundai unveiled a near production version of its new fuel cell SUV with a driving range of more than 580 km per charge, compared with the 415 km for its current Tucson fuel cell SUV. The mid-sized SUV will be launched in Korea early next year, followed by U.S. and European markets. A fuel cell electric bus is slated to be unveiled late this year, while a sedan-type fuel cell car is also planned. Even so, analysts noted that gaining traction with fuel cells was going to be a long hard slog partly due to a lack of charging infrastructure.