Hyundai is committed to developing internal combustion engines as a parallel effort in mobility, alongside electric powertrains and even hydrogen propulsion.
The Hyundai N Vision 74 and RN22e Concepts
This was reported by Australian website Car Expert, which recently caught up with Hyundai Australia representatives at the demonstration for the N Vision 74 and RN22e prototypes.
“We are continuing for next emission levels [in internal combustion engine development]. We have no other choices,” said Albert Biermann, Hyundai Executive Technical Advisor. “I mean, we are not giving up on combustion engines, right, we are a global player.”
Biermann adds that Hyundai’s continued work on combustion engines is in consideration of regions that have yet to possess a substantial electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. However, he remained non-committal when asked whether the automaker will develop new engines or refine existing ones.
“You have to follow the emission regulations and that requires sometimes intense development. Euro 7, for example, is quite challenging. So that’s on the agenda,” he explained.
Despite the success of the Ioniq 5, Hyundai says it can't forsake markets that have no EV infrastructure yet
Developed markets are preparing for Euro 7 emissions standards which come into effect in 2025. No final version of the standards has been set, but three streams are being considered, with each expected to add extra costs for car buyers.
The first option would be to narrow down current Euro 6 regulations, while the second calls for a more thorough revision of these standards. The third, likely the most drastic, will entail emissions monitoring in the real world over the vehicle’s lifespan.
Hyundai has invested $1.1 billion (Php 62.5 billion) towards two hydrogen fuel cell facilities, with the aim of manufacturing fuel cell stacks for future hydrogen-powered models. Complementing an existing factory in Chungju, Korea, the two plants are expected to assemble 100,000 fuel cells annually when full operations commence.
The automaker has invested in two hyrdogen fuel cell factories in South Korea
In December 2021, Hyundai announced the closure of its Namyang Technology Research Center that has long developed gasoline and diesel powertrains for the automaker. Regarded as the largest reorganization undertaken by Hyundai to date, this was part of its efforts to shift priorities towards projects involving EVs.
A month later, Hyundai clarified that it will not halt development of combustion engines, claiming that these will still be part of the company’s portfolio for its global customers.
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