Driven by regulations, the future of passenger vehicles is increasingly going to be dependent more on battery cells and electric motors and less on fuel tanks and spark plugs. Hyundai hasn?t been at the forefront with electrification technology, but the company has taken a pragmatic and bifurcated approach?developing a full slate of hybrid and plug-in-hybrid models on one side, and dedicated electric vehicles on the other.
In a recent release discussing its next-generation fuel-cell vehicle, expected to be revealed in early 2018 around the time of the Seoul Winter Olympics, the company had some important announcements about vehicles that plug in. Among them: Hyundai disclosed that it?s working on a long-range, 310-mile electric vehicle, due after 2021, and that it?s developing its first dedicated architecture for EVs?implying that, like Volkswagen with its upcoming EV-centric MEB architecture, it?s potentially working on a whole set of vehicles that will not use internal-combustion engines. Hyundai previously had revealed a few other details about this longer-range EV, including that it would have a larger footprint than the Ioniq?perhaps partly to create plenty of battery-packaging space. The automaker hasn?t yet said anything about the creation of an electric-only sub-brand?such as what Mercedes-Benz aims to create with its EQ brand or what Volkswagen might do with its I.D. vehicles.
At present, Hyundai?s sole fully electric model, the Ioniq Electric, is only available...