2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Gls Sport Utility 5-door 2.7l - Awd - Great Winter Car! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

For Hyundai, ZEV credit rules are working

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been working on its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) plan since the early 1990s, so no one at Hyundai could act surprised when the automaker finally started selling enough vehicles to be affected by the rules around 2012. In fact, the company had lots of time to prepare for being reclassified as an Intermediate Volume automaker and the obligations to sell ZEV vehicles – fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles, or plug ins – that come with that title. Today, Hyundai has more credits than it needs and no plans to sell them to other, less forward-looking automakers. "We are not in the business of buying or selling ZEV credits." - Mike O'Brien Anyone paying close enough attention will know that Hyundai has been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology since a little before 2000. O'Brien said that Hyundai's fuel cell program "predated regulation for us by more than a decade and a half." That's why the company is in good standing today. In the ZEV marketplace, the value of one ZEV credit is private information between those who sell them and those looking to buy. So, while we don't know how much money Hyundai's extra credits are actually worth, California does publish the credit balances, so we can at least know how many Hyundai has.The most recent seem to be from 2014, which are available here. That's when Hyundai had 896 ZEV credits, 4,825.71 "advanced technology partial zero-emission vehicles" (AT-PZEV) and 6,751.80 PZEV credits, but O'Brien said that, "We are not in the business of buying or selling credits. To my knowledge, there is nobody I know in this company that has investigated either the purchase or sale of ZEV credits." Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell in BeeZero Hydrogen Carsharing Program View 6 Photos Instead, Hyundai - like many other automakers - is generating its own credits by selling zero-emission vehicles to offset the vehicles it sells that are too dirty in the ZEV credit scheme. And the company's recent expansion of Tucson Fuel Cell sales into Northern California is likely a preview for the vehicle's availability in the Northeast. After all, that's where the next batch of H2 stations is due and O'Brien has said in the past the Hyundai will sell the vehicle where there's fuel. O'Brien said Hyundai is talking to the same hydrogen providers that competitors like Honda and Toyota are talking to (so, FirstElement Fuel), but is not ready to make any announcements about any infrastructure partnerships.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Kia reportedly plans to increase production of Telluride SUV

A new report from overseas says that Kia will increase production of the new Telluride SUV to 100,000 units due to strong demand for the three-row hauler in the U.S. Korean news site Motor Graph reports the decision was announced on a conference call at Kia’s headquarters in Seoul; Autoblog has sought confirmation from a Kia spokesman. The news comes on the heels of word that the Telluride, along with its corporate sibling the Hyundai Palisade, were getting some minor price increases, the second for both, with the Telluride starting at $33,060, including destination, after launching at $32,735. ItÂ’s also the latest sign of the popularity and positive reviews of the Telluride, which went on sale in March of last year. The Telluride just won the title of 2020 North American Utility of the Year, vanquishing the Palisade and the Lincoln Aviator, and itÂ’s earned a slew of other honors from automotive publications and organizations. Kia builds the Telluride at its plant in West Point, Georgia and sold 58,604 models in the less than eight months it was on sale in 2019, with an established clip north of 6,000 per month by yearÂ’s end. Recent rumors have suggested Kia could be planning a range-topping trim level, complete with fancy new interior colors and an off-road package that could push the Telluride toward the $50,000 mark. Kia also plans to launch the compact Seltos crossover during the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, corporate sibling Hyundai also launched the Palisade three-row ‘ute in 2019, one of two new Hyundai nameplates last year along with the compact Venue crossover, which launched in November. From its launch in June through December, the Palisade posted sales of 28,736, with steady month-over-month increases. A Hyundai spokesman said he had no information to share about production plans but said the Palisade was seeing good demand from car buyers. The Palisade is built in Ulsan, South Korea for the U.S. market. Related Video: