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China sticking to its guns on EVs for the future

Automakers are obviously free to develop whatever next-gen, zero-emissions tech that they want. However, if a company wants to get on the good side of the Chinese government, that strategy better include some plug-in vehicles. The authorities there are lending major support to plug-ins at the moment, and its forcing the auto industry to play along. According to Bloomberg, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and BMW are all launching dedicated EV brands with their joint venture partners, and as many as 40 electric models could hit the Chinese market this year alone. However, analysts don't think the vehicles are going to sell well. Instead, the launches are essentially a way for companies to play nice with the government and help get the approval to build factories in the country. Take Toyota as an example. The company is pushing the future of hydrogen hard with promotional films for the Mirai and engineers talking down fast-charging EVs. Still, the Japanese automaker is getting ready to launch two EV brands in China with its joint venture partners, according to Bloomberg. China's push for alternative fuels has been happening for a while, but it really kicked into high gear last year. The government has set a goal to improve fleet-wide economy by 40 percent by the end of the decade in order to spend less importing oil and for the population's health. The plan has shown some success so far with hybrid and EV sales growing early in 2015. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Kin Cheung / AP Photo Government/Legal Green BMW Hyundai Toyota Volkswagen Green Culture Technology Electric tax incentives chinese government

2019 Hyundai Veloster will start at $19,385

Hyundai's 2019 Veloster hatchback will start at $19,385 for the 2.0-liter with a manual transmission when it arrives at dealers in the coming weeks. It'll also be available in Turbo and R-Spec trim configurations, which start at $23,785 for a manual and top out at a $29,035 starting price for the Turbo Ultimate fitted with a dual-clutch transmission. All prices are inclusive of Hyundai's $885 freight charge. Hyundai unveiled the 2019 Veloster as the car's second generation at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Production of the Veloster began in March in Ulsan, South Korea, while Hyundai says the hot hatch will come to U.S. showrooms in the second quarter, or before the calendar flips to July. Engine choices include a standard 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, which makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, a slight uptick over its predecessor, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder that makes 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, the same as before. The former is coupled with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission and three selectable driving modes, while the turbo is mated to a standard six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel. R-Spec manual-trans models will get a B&M Racing sport shifter later on. Fuel-economy numbers are in from the EPA and start at 25 miles per gallon in the city, 28 on the highway and 28 mpg combined for the 2.0-liter manual, and they top out at 28 mpg city, 34 highway and 30 combined for the automatic dual-clutch transmission found in the top-of-the-line Turbo Ultimate model. All models get lane-keeping assist and forward collision-avoidance assist, which helps apply braking when the front camera detects an imminent collision, plus available safety tech like high-beam assist and driver attention warning. A 7-inch LCD touchscreen is standard, as is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Upgrade to the 8-inch touchscreen and you get next-generation Blue Link remote safety and diagnostic service, traffic flow and incident data via HD radio and premium audio from Infinity. Related Video:

Hyundai dealerships getting global makeover

In the near future, almost no matter where you're at in the world - whether in Mexico or France - you may not be able to tell an immediate difference between Hyundai dealers. The Korean brand plans to remove some of the diversity from its showrooms in favor of a unified design everywhere outside of the US by about 2020.
The plan is called the Global Dealership Space Identity, and the end result features a modern, open showroom with floor-to-ceiling glass to look in and a bronze-colored roof section (pictured above). The goal of the unified design "is to strengthen our Modern Premium brand consistency across all dealerships, proving premium emotional experiences related to our brand and increase interaction with customers," said Hyundai spokesperson Sookjin Hwang to Autoblog via email.
The ball is already rolling on the plan with the cues being implemented at new dealers in Mexico and about 42 other showrooms worldwide. In the future even Canada may use it, according to Automotive News. "Hyundai Motor plans to fully implement the new identity worldwide within five years (2014~2018). The exact timing for each country will be different."