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Hyundai CEO touts new EV platform with mention of a pickup

A couple of years ago, one of the prominent concerns about a saturated EV auto-scape was how carmakers would accentuate brand differences among vehicles converging on a frightening sameness. The cars wouldn't make any noise, they would all emphasize aerodynamics, and they would all basically ride on a battery pancake. So far, the fears have been avoided; a Volvo XC40 Recharge won't be confused for a Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance, and the Ford won't be confused for a Tesla Model Y. Not only that, but automakers are developing platform strategies that heighten the sameness among vehicle architectures because the architecture is where the expenditure and the profit are greatest. Hyundai's the latest to outline its plans for investors. And part of Hyundai's plan could include adding a full-size electric pickup to the range. The mid- to long-term roadmap is called the Hyundai Motor Way, recently revised with higher targets thanks to the swift uptick in EV sales globally. Business Korea wrote Hyundai Motor Group (HMG includes Kia and Genesis) sold 510,000 battery-electric vehicles in 2022. The conglomerate says it now plans to sell two million EVs annually by 2030, up from a previous estimate of 1.87 million.      The platform that will help make this possible is called eM, an evolution of the current Electric Global Modular Platform (e-GMP) platform under HMG's current EVs. The eM architecture's been rumored to launch under a Kia sedan that might be a spiritual successor to the Stinger. So far, eM is planned for 13 models across the HMG portfolio, using the Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) that can plug-and-play with more than 80 common modules serving different vehicle segments and sizes. HMG president and CEO Jaehoon Chang said, "In the second-generation platform, the scope of vehicle development extends beyond the mid-sized SUVs covered by the current E-GMP system. It encompasses nearly all vehicle classes, ranging from small and large SUVs to pickup trucks, along with the flagship models of the Genesis brand." Sure, Chang could have been merely noting the eM's potential use cases when he mentioned "pickup trucks." That's not how observers are reading the line. At Kia's investor day last year, the brand said it planned two electric pickups. There have already been reports that Kia's working on a body-on-frame pickup for the Australian market, perhaps called Tasman, utilizing gas and electric powertrains.

Hyundai analyzes 12 trends that will shape the world of 2030

Hyundai announced this year the start of Project Ioniq, its attempt at figuring out what the world of 2030 will be like. Of course the project would also use that information to determine how that world will affect the transportation industry. And it happens to share its name with the company's newest eco-friendly model. The first part of Project Ioniq is under way with the Ioniq Lab. This lab will be run by Dr. Soon Jong Lee, a professor at Seoul National University. Lee is also in charge of the Korea Future Design and Research Institute, and ten researchers and ten consultant experts will assist him on the project. Phase one has now yielded what Hyundai sees as 12 "megatrends" that will affect how the world changes and develops in 2030. This will in turn affect what people are looking for as far as transportation and mobility, and may inform what technologies and segments Hyundai invests in the future. The 12 megatrends are as follows: Hyper-connected Society Hyper-aging Society Eco-ism Multi-Layered Mash-up Context-awareness-based Individualization High Concept Society Decentralization of Power Anxiety and Chaos Sharing Society Co-evolution Mega-urbanization Neo-frontierism The team has detailed descriptions of each megatrend, and they are interesting, but we'll try to sum up all twelve of them for you here. If you want to check out all the details, be sure to check out the press release at this link. Overall, we're looking at a world where there are many more old people, and a large majority of the population will live in urban areas. Not everyone will live in urban areas, and some people may have new living opportunities because of advancements in aerospace and aquatic engineering. It will be a much more diverse world as well that we will be even more connected with, sharing information more and more. This will make understanding what people share and how they do so vital. Society will also start sharing everything much more, something akin to Uber and ZipCar today, but expanded. Companies will be looking to combine technologies and collaborate more to be involved in a wider array of businesses. The environment as well as cyber crimes and terrorism will remain ever-present issues. We will also see the development of significantly more capable robots and artificial intelligence.

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."