2020 Hyundai Tucson Se on 2040-cars

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Hyundai delivers its first Tucson Fuel Cell to a California customer

With expected pomp and circumstance, but short of a marching band, Hyundai delivered its first Tucson Fuel Cell crossover to the Bush family in Southern California on Tuesday. Dave Zuchowski, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America, was on hand to officiate along with an array of other government officials, including California Air Resources Board chairman Mary Nichols. The automaker is touting the emissions-free vehicle as the "world's only mass-produced fuel cell vehicle" as it travels down the same assembly line as the other Tucson models - its production is scalable, based on demand.
The Tucson Fuel Cell replaces the standard model's 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, gasoline combustion engine with a 100-kW fuel cell stack, which sends power to a 100-kW (134 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque) electric motor driving the front wheels. A 24-kW battery pack, shared with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, is used for storage. The vehicle earns the customer a combined 50 MPGe, while earning the automaker up to $130,000 through California's ZEV credit system.
As the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is extremely underdeveloped, Hyundai will initially only offer the Tucson Fuel Cell on a lease program to customers in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas, where it has approved six stations with the 700-bar (WEH TK17 pistol-grip nozzle) pumps. The automaker has packaged the program with a $2,999 drive-off, with payments of $499 per month for 36 months. To nearly eliminate operating expenses, the automaker is throwing in "unlimited free hydrogen refueling" (keep in mind that the leasee is only contracted to 12,000 miles each year, so that will put a cap on how much free fuel flows from the pump) along with the company's At Your Service Valet Maintenance at no extra cost.

Head of the class | 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric First Drive

With the Ioniq family, Hyundai has cooked up a recipe that looks really good on paper. As with the pair of hybrid models, the Ioniq Electric combines a high level of efficiency with a nice price and styling that is neither drab nor audacious. This is uncharted territory for Hyundai, though. The dedicated platform shared by this trio of electrified vehicles is completely new, and the electric version is the brand's very first battery-electric vehicle. Hyundai's approach means the Ioniq can carve out its own space in the market and capture the attention – and dollars – of eco-minded buyers on a budget. The three Ioniq offerings are all very similar, both in appearance and in underlying technology. The Ioniq Electric, though, is the only one without a gasoline engine (and, for that matter, without the six-speed dual-clutch transmission the hybrids use). For propulsion, it relies solely on its 88-kW (118-horsepower) electric motor, which provides 215 pound-feet of torque. A 28-kWh battery pack supplies the energy, giving it a respectable 124 miles of driving range between charges. "Wait a minute, Scoob," you might be saying. "Only 124 miles? The Chevy Bolt goes 238 miles on a full battery." Yes, that's right. The Bolt is kind of a young, tough shark swimming in the same waters into which Hyundai is dipping its toes. The Bolt, though, has a starting MSRP of $37,495, which is a big sack of ducats for a compact car. It's also $7,160 more than the Ioniq Electric. We'll revisit the price in a little bit. Same as in the hybrids, the Ioniq EV's interior is attractive and comfortable. The seats are supportive, and it's easy to find a cozy position behind the adjustable steering wheel. Taller occupants might find headroom in short supply, at least in models equipped with a sunroof. The materials are all attractive and nice to the touch, tiller included. The digital instrument cluster is fairly simple, and toggles on the steering wheel allow you to put the information you want right in front of you. The 7.0-inch central touchscreen is attractive, although the large amount of information and features available in the various menus could be a little difficult to navigate for some. Others will appreciate the ability to monitor their energy usage, customize settings, find charging stations, and project their smartphone onto the screen via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. There's even available wireless charging for phones that support it.

Center for Auto Safety wants Hyundai and Kia to recall 2.9M vehicles

DETROIT — A nonprofit auto safety group is demanding that Hyundai and Kia recall 2.9 million cars and SUVs in the U.S. due to consumer complaints that they can catch fire. The Center For Auto Safety said Friday that there have been more than 220 complaints to the U.S. government since 2010 about fires and another 200 complaints about melted wires as well as smoke and burning odors. The complaints involve the 2011 through 2014 Kia Sorento and Optima and the Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe. Also included is the 2010 through 2015 Kia Soul. The fires are being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of a 2017 probe into Hyundai and Kia engine failures. "The volume of fires here make it appear that Hyundai and Kia are content to sit back and allow consumers and insurers to bear the brunt of poorly designed, manufactured and repaired vehicles," Jason Levine, the center's executive director, said. The fire reports have come in from across the country, including a death in Ohio in April 2017, he said. Hyundai says it monitors safety concerns and acts quickly to recall defective vehicles. "We have a robust system in place for monitoring and investigating reported vehicle fires that includes investigation and reporting to NHTSA as required. Vehicle fires can result from a variety of reasons," the company statement said. Kia said it is using company and third-party fire investigators to determine what caused the fires so it can address them. "A vehicle fire may be the result of any number of complex factors, such as a manufacturing issue, inadequate maintenance, the installation of aftermarket parts, an improper repair, arson, or some other non-vehicle source, and must be carefully evaluated by a qualified and trained investigator or technician," the company said in a statement. The Center for Auto Safety filed a petition asking NHTSA to investigate the fires in June. The agency said Friday that it is still evaluating the petition and it has sent information requests to Hyundai, Kia and other automakers about the issue. Levine says the center does not know what's causing the fires. In May 2017 the government began investigating whether the automakers moved quickly enough to recall over 1.6 million vehicles because of engines stalling. NHTSA is looking into three recalls by the related Korean brands, and it's also investigating whether the automakers followed safety reporting requirements.