Hyundai has confirmed the launch of its next-generation hybrid technology that promises to leave the current crop of conventional hybrids in its rear-view mirror.
Billed as Extended Range EVs (or EREVs), the new fleet will act much like Nissan's e-Power vehicles, in which the petrol engine is used only to recharge the on-board battery.
Only the electric motor, or motors, drive the wheels, so you get an EV-like drive experience, but with the convenience of being able to refuel at regular service stations.
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The result, promises Hyundai, is a fleet of vehicles able to travel more than 900km on a single tank, meaning Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne to Adelaide on a single tank, and that act as a kind of long-distance alternative to a regular electric vehicle.
The move is in a direct response to the slowing EV market, forcing a quick shift in strategy from the Korean giant.
“Looking back the past year, there were major changes to the automobile market, with the rosy projections for the EV transition giving way to heightened concerns,” Hyundai CEO Jaehoon Chang said at a recent investor conference.
“The shift to EVs is currently slowing down. And with the recent slowdown in the EV transition, the demand for hybrids has been picking up.”
Essentially an EV with a range-extending petrol engine, the vehicles will be powered with a single or dual-motor layout – meaning two- or all-wheel drive – and they'll be fitted with a single-speed EV-style gearbox.
And because the petrol tank is providing the charge while on the move, they can make do with much smaller batteries than a typical EV.
And this, says Hyundai, will make them significantly cheaper than an all-electric equivalent – the batteries will be some 66 per cent cheaper – while the lack of a conventional gearbox will lower the price further still.
"The new EREV will combine the advantages of internal combustion engines and EVs," the brand said in a statement.
"Hyundai Motor has developed a unique new powertrain and power electronics system to enable four-wheel drive with the application of two motors. The operation is powered solely by electricity, similar to EVs, with the engine being used only for battery charging.
"The new EREV also offers price competitiveness over EVs through battery capacity optimisation and allows both refuelling and stress-free charging while offering a superior driving range of over 900km when fully charged."
Hyundai plans to have the new technology in market globally by 2026, but there is no word yet on the models it will appear in first, or when it will make its Australian debut.
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