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Genesis' decision to build the Electrified GV70 in America is a sign of things to come

As Steely Dan famously sang, they call Alabama the Crimson Tide. Here in Montgomery, we’re knee-deep in a Green Tide thatÂ’s transforming the business of building and selling cars. The high-style Genesis Electrified GV70 emerging from Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) is the first Genesis built outside South Korea. ItÂ’s only the second made-in-America EV from a foreign-based automaker, after the Volkswagen ID.4 whose Tennessee production kicked off in July.  Get ready for many more. Spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act — whose final interpretations and outcomes remain in Washingtonian flux — automakers foreign and domestic are scrambling to onshore EV-and-battery production to boost American jobs and security, as a condition to securing lucrative tax incentives for manufacturers and consumers. Beginning in 2024, qualifying for EV credits may even require sourcing a hefty percentage of minerals and other battery materials from America or approved trade partners, a list that conspicuously does not include China or Russia. As things stand, that sticking point could make a vast number of 2024 EVs ineligible for purchase credits; though leasing a vehicle may still earn dealers a $7,500 commercial credit that they could pass along to consumers, as most currently do for EV lessees.  The electric version of GenesisÂ’ most-popular SUV is the avatar of Hyundai MotorÂ’s $10 billion American EV investment, which is expected to foster up to 8,000 good-paying jobs. Even thatÂ’s a fraction of what Atlas Public Policy estimates to be $128 billion in industry-wide investment in AmericaÂ’s EV, battery and recycling capacity through 2030 alone. HyundaiÂ’s planned onshore footprint includes a new battery factory northwest of Atlanta, and a $5.5 billion EV factory near Savannah that aims to produce Hyundai, Kia and Genesis EVs beginning in 2025. Beginning that year, Genesis says every new model introduced will be an EV, with no fossil-fuel option. And Genesis plans to phase out gasoline-powered models entirely by 2030, a similar timeline to luxury brands including Volvo and Cadillac. In Alabama, where Hyundai also builds the Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz, an Electrified GV70 is hoisted onto a lift for the final stop on its 16-hour assembly journey.

Kia America shuffles executives

Kia announced a sudden and massive shuffle of its most senior executives in North America, including the resignation of its CEO and new roles for some of his top lieutenants. The biggest change is the departure of Byung Mo Ahn, who had until now served as both CEO of Kia Motors America and head of the company's manufacturing operations in Georgia, as well as a group vice chairman. Ahn is stepping down from all three positions with immediate effect, but will stay on in an advisory capacity. In his place, Jang Won Sohn moves from his previous post as a senior vice president at the home office to take over Kia Motors America. The task of running Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia will fall to Hyun Jong Shin, currently the plant's executive vice president and chief operating officer. Along with those replacements, Kia promoted Michael Sprague (pictured) to the newly created position of COO and executive vice president for Kia Motors America – a step up from his current title as EVP of sales and marketing. He reports directly to Sohn and takes over responsibility for product planning as well as sales, marketing and service. KIA MOTORS AMERICA STATEMENT REGARDING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES Effective immediately, the Group Vice Chairman and CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), Byung Mo Ahn, has left these positions and will become a company advisor. Jang Won Sohn, formerly a Senior Vice President at KMC, assumes the position of President and CEO of KMA, and Hyun Jong Shin, formerly KMMG's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, assumes the position of President and CEO of KMMG. Michael Sprague, formerly KMA's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer and EVP of KMA, reporting directly to Mr. Sohn, and will serve as the central point of contact for all sales, marketing, service and product planning functions.

Kia Niro crossover is the company's first dedicated hybrid

Kia arrives in Chicago this week with the Niro, an all-new hybrid crossover joining the company's growing electrified lineup. It's not Kia's first hybrid, but it is the first dedicated hybrid, designed from the ground up with gasoline-electric power. Following the Niro concept from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and the teaser images that followed, the production Niro joins the Soul EV and Optima Hybrid in the automaker's EcoDynamics line. Though full specifications and dimensions have yet to be revealed, the Niro rides on a 106-inch wheelbase to slot it size-wise in between the smaller Sportage and larger Sorento. The parallel hybrid powertrain mirrors that of the Ioniq – which is, in turn, parent company Hyundai's first dedicated hybrid and which we're not expecting to see in person until next month. The system pairs a 1.6-liter four with an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery, and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The sum total is 146 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, and a projected fuel-consumption rating of 50 miles per gallon. View 18 Photos According to Kia's product guru Orth Hedrick, the company has tuned the Niro for "the best combination of outstanding mpg, an engaging driving experience, utility, and most importantly, a stunning design that doesn't shout 'hybrid'." Of course the taller, less streamlined form means it won't cut through the air like a more streamlined sedan or hatchback would, but it's still much slipperier than most crossovers: its drag coefficient of 0.29 comes a lot closer to the Ioniq's 0.24 than it does to the Soul EV's 0.35. We'll wait to see it in person before we decide how that streamlined crossover styling comes across. But for now you can scope out the full details released thus far in the press release below. ALL-NEW 2017 NIRO HYBRID UTILITY VEHICLE ARRIVES IN THE WINDY CITY FOR GLOBAL DEBUT AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW Kia's Hybrid Utility Vehicle Boasts a Number of Firsts for the Brand, Including an All-New, Dedicated Eco-Car Platform and Unique Hybrid System • Niro is a no-compromise package, maintaining the style and appeal of a utility vehicle while offering outstanding fuel economy with a targeted 50 mpg combined • Niro challenges the hybrid-electric segment with an innovative hybrid system that directly contributes to a dynamic driving experience CHICAGO, Feb.