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2019 Hyundai Ioniq gets new safety, infotainment tech

The Hyundai Ioniq lineup of electrified vehicles is being updated for 2019 with new safety technologies, more voice-recognition features and standard remote charge management for electric and plug-in hybrid models. Models equipped with navigation capabilities will get an enhanced, natural-language, server-based voice-recognition with a new point-of-interest search database that can suss out locations of charging stations. Driver attention alert and high-beam assist are new available features, along with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, which is standard for the SEL trim along with lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Hyundai says it's working with ChargePoint, which operates more than 32,000 electric-vehicle charging stations, to provide Ioniq owners with access cards and the ability to locate charging stations through the MyHyundai/Blue Link mobile app. Ioniq Electric and PHEV models come with Blue Link-, Google- or Alexa-enabled capability to manage and monitor charging schedules remotely to help take advantage of lower electricity prices during off-peak hours. Hyundai sells the Ioniq in Hybrid, Electric and Plug-In Hybrid variants. The Hybrid boasts an estimated 58 mpg rating from its 1.6-liter direct-injected engine, 32-kilowatt electric motor and 1.56 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. The Electric boasts a 136 MPGe rating and 124-mile driving range from its 28.0 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, while the Plug-In Hybrid uses a 1.6-liter direct-injected Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, a 44.5 kW electric motor and 8.9 kWh battery to offer 29 miles in electric-only driving range. Hyundai sold 11,197 Ioniq models in 2017, though it didn't start selling the sedans until late in the first quarter. The 2019 models arrive in dealerships this summer, though pricing hasn't yet been announced. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Image Credit: Hyundai Green Hyundai Infotainment Hatchback Electric Hybrid PHEV safety features hyundai ioniq hyundai ioniq electric hyundai ioniq plug-in

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell gets massive 43% price cut in South Korea

Hyundai is soldiering on with its fuel-cell-powered Tucson, ordering an enormous cut in the zero-emission CUV's price in the company's home market. The 43-percent reduction, when combined with subsidies from the South Korean government, brings the cost of entry to a still-lofty $54,000, Ward's reports. While that's undeniably a lot of money, we need to explain just how wildly expensive the Tucson FCV was in the first place. Hyundai trimmed a total of $67,000 from the $144,000 starting price. Even with some very significant – and not unusual – subsidies, the fuel-cell model still cost $86,000. Considering where things started from, $54K seems like a relative bargain. Beyond South Korea, Hyundai is expected to announce some sort of price cut in Europe, where the Tucson is marketed as the ix35 FCV, but it's unclear at this point if the Euro model's price tag will get such a dramatic reduction. We haven't heard of any changes to the cost of the lease-only North American-market Tucson FCV, which is currently available in California for $499 per month with $2,999 down. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell View 29 Photos News Source: Ward's Auto Green Hyundai Alternative Fuels Crossover Hydrogen Cars hyundai tucson fcv hyundai ix35

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs