2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai returns to spark-compression engines with $5 million grant

Ed note: This version adds comment from a Hyundai spokeswoman. Hyundai said Monday it has won a grant worth $4.95 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to support research and development for an advanced, mixed-mode gasoline spark-compression engine, meaning the Korean automaker appears to be back at it in its quest to develop a fuel-efficient, low-emissions gasoline compression engine that can catch the likes of Mazda's Skyactiv-X. Hyundai says the three-year grant will leverage existing work with advanced valve train and previous DOE-funded technologies. Hyundai previously was working on its own HCCI — short for homogeneous charge compression ignition — project, developing a Gasoline Direct-Injection Compression engine with help from Delphi that used supercharging and turbocharging, a high compression ratio and fully variable valve train. But it has never come to fruition, reportedly due in large part to added costs. Hyundai spokeswoman Michele Tinson said the grant will support a new project for the automaker. "It's a departure from the past efforts forging a new direction forward for Hyundai where the fuel and engine combustion modes can be optimized to meet new targets," she said. Tinson said the GDCI project is completing its third round of DOE funding. Hyundai in December said it plans to release 38 environmentally friendly vehicles along with its affiliate Kia, and using a variety of technologies, by 2025. Hyundai alone will account for 18 of them. The aim is to use the spark-compression engines for conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids. "The opportunity to explore mixed-mode engine technology through the DOE's grant signifies Hyundai's commitment to advanced research technology and compression engines," John Juriga, director of powertrain technologies at Hyundai America's Technical Center near Ann Arbor, Mich., said in a statement. "The co-operative research project along with Michigan Technological University and Phillips 66 signifies the importance in developing fuel and engine innovations that work together for optimal vehicle performance and leading fuel economy ratings." Mazda's Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine uses Spark Controlled Compression Ignition to achieve diesel-like gains in fuel economy — about 20 to 30 percent higher than its current gasoline engines — and lower emissions from regular gasoline. It's said to debut in late 2019. Related Video:

Hyundai's all-new 2018 hydrogen-powered CUV comes into focus

It's no secret that Hyundai has plans for hydrogen-powered vehicles beyond the currently available Tucson Fuel Cell. Ever since the debut of the Intrado concept at the Geneva Motor Show in early 2014, Hyundai has been dropping hints about what the new big-ish H2 vehicle will offer. We say "big-ish" because Hyundai Motor Group's director of eco-vehicle development, Ahn Byung-ki, told Automotive News that the next-gen hydrogen powertrain will find a home in a "totally new" model that will be "somewhere between a CUV and SUV." So, whatever fancy new automotive segment that phrase happens to define – MUV, for middleweight utility vehicle? – is what Hyundai's new hydrogen offering will be. Under the hood, the upcoming vehicle will use a fuel cell that doesn't need as much platinum and will have a bigger battery and a smaller motor. We had originally heard that this new hydrogen CUV/SUV would arrive in 2020, but Ahn said that the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea will be "a big event. That's always a good opportunity for PR." With the Intrado concept, Hyundai said it was, "far more than a styling exercise." We've since heard that Hyundai believes that a CUV/SUV model offers the best option for customers buying a fuel cell vehicle. Earlier this year, Hyundai's head of the company's fuel cell research, Sae-Hoon Kim, said that, "all customer feedback says range and boot space are the priorities." The Intrado concept had a supposed range of around 375 miles. What that would translate to outside of the fictional auto show universe is unknown, but it sounds like Hyundai is ready to make all of this more real. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai Intrado Concept: Geneva 2014 View 16 Photos News Source: Automotive News – sub. req. Green Hyundai Green Automakers SUV Hydrogen Cars h2 hyundai intrado

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.