Hyundai's green-cred future's so bright, its factory roof's gotta wear shades. The South Korean automaker will install that country's largest solar-panel system when it deploys about 40,000 solar voltaic panels on the roof of its Asan plant later this year.
The system will cover about 2.2 million square feet, or about 50 acres, of rooftop and will supply 11.5 million kilowatt hours, or the equivalent the power consumed by about 3,200 households. Hyundai makes theSonata Hybrid at the plant, further bolstering the car's treehugging credentials.
Hyundai says the solar system will eliminate about 5,600 tons worth of CO2 emissions. Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) will purchase the electricity and redistribute it throughout the factory. Check out Hyundai's press release below.
Automotive News reports Hyundai may be considering jumping into the US pickup market. Lee In-cheol, ice president of international sales, says the company's product planners and engineers are currently trying to determine what size pickup would be best for our market. Currently, the automaker has no plans to build a truck, but Lee says that hasn't stopped US dealers from asking the company to produce one. The US and South Korea signed a free trade agreement that took effect in 2012 that removes the so-called Chicken Tax from South Korean imports in seven years.
That means that Hyundai or Kia could import a foreign-built truck without incurring the 25 percent tax on the vehicle's value after 2021. Even so, Hyundai isn't committed into jumping into the US full-size pickup market. Instead, the company may build a smaller truck designed to compete in emerging markets.
We've been hearing word about Hyundai's pickup musings for years now, including a rumored partnership with Chrysler to produce Ram-based trucks, but so far, nothing has come of it.
In more than 620,000 Kia models and 1 million Hyundai products for the 2007 through 2011 model years, the brake switch could malfunction causing the brake lights to not illuminate, which could lead to accident. Other possible issues with a faulty switch include the cruise control not cancelling with the brake pedal, the push-button starter not working properly and the shift interlock not disengaging causing the transmission to be stuck in Park. To fix the problem, the brake lights switch will be replaced.
Due to the large number of units being recalled, both automakers are issuing a notice by next month with parts not expected to be ready until June. The full list of affected vehicles and the NHTSA press releases are posted below.
The 'E4U,' exhibited at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show, is one of the winners of the 'IDEA festival 2012,' Hyundai Motor Group R&D Center's internal contest, aimed at discovering fresh ideas on future mobility. Hyundai engineers can voluntarily suggest and realize new ideas of future transportations during the festival.
[Specifications] * Weight: 80kg (including a battery) * Hemisphere: voltage 24V/ power 500W / max. speed 30km/h / degree of freedom 2
[Key Features] * The E4U, which has an egg-shaped, streamlined body, is a new concept of future mobility for one person. * The name E4U embraces 4 Es; Egg, Evolution, Electricity and Eco-friendliness. * It is designed to be driven at low speeds on narrow roads in urban areas. * Both its speed and steering can be controlled with one electric motor in the hemisphere structure, which simplifies the system and makes it light. * A driver can control the pivot of the hemisphere structure, which spins in one direction. * Its speed and steering can be controlled depending on which direction he/she turns and how much he/she tilts the hemisphere. * Its rear legs can be folded, and the side parts are also detachable, which minimizes required parking space.
About "IDEA festival" Hyundai Motor Group's R&D Center has held the "IDEA festival" every year since 2010. Through the festival, Hyundai aims to discover fresh ideas on future mobility by encouraging its engineers to express their creativity and also to cultivate R&D culture that allows for active development of new technologies based on enhanced teamwork. The theme of 'IDEA Festival 2012' was 'Free Mobility,' which means future technology-adopted mobility with an addition of a fun factor. Hyundai engineers can submit their ideas and design, and during preliminary rounds, around 20 ideas are chosen, evaluated based on creativity, technology, fun and Relevance to the theme. The selected teams then compete in a presentation contest, and are graded based on creativity, technology, fun and production feasibility. About half of them make it to the finals. The final ideas are actually produced and demonstrated on the festival day, which is dedicated not only to competition, but also to celebration of their efforts. The winners are awarded with prize money and trips to other countries.
The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) named the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport “Best Compact CUV” during the 2013 Mudfest competition last week in Snoqualmie, Washington. More than 30 NWAPA automotive journalists participated in the event at the 300-plus acre DirtFish Rally School site in Snoqualmie, WA. "Mudfest gives our members the ability to test the top crossovers, side-by-side, in real-world conditions," said Ryan Douthit, host of Driving Sports TV and this year's event organizer. "Working with the DirtFish staff, we designed a number of test courses that really challenged the vehicles in terms of road-handling and their ability to navigate through very rugged off-road conditions. The fact that our members selected the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport for this honor speaks volumes about what it offers compared to competitive vehicles in its class." "The Pacific Northwest terrain provided media the opportunity to put the Santa Fe Sport AWD turbo through a number of exercises that included a wet pavement autocross course and a real-world drive through the hills surrounding DirtFish Rally School,” said Scott Margason, director product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “NWAPA members were able to experience the Santa Fe Sport AWD turbo capabilities, including the punch of the twin-scroll turbocharger and the dual continuously variable value timing, which delivered both outstanding performance and fuel economy.” The 2013 Best Compact CUV award from NWAPA is one in a list of honors the 2013 Santa Fe Sport has garnered since launching during the fourth quarter of 2012. Santa Fe Sport received the honor of “Best New Crossover” in the Midsize and Large Crossovers category in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, was named to this year’s Ward’s “10 Best Interiors” list for its upscale and highly-functional interior, and was awarded “Crossover of the Year” by the editors of Autobytel. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. On May 16, 2013, Hyundai Assurance will be expanded to include Assurance Connected Care. Assurance Connected Care provides Hyundai owners with proactive safety and car care services made possible by the Hyundai Blue Link telematics platform standard for three years. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.
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Monday, April 22, 2013
Hyundai hit a home run with its current-generation Sonata midsize sedan, so don't expect the Korean automaker to make revolutionary changes when its replacement comes out for the 2015 model year. The four-door sitting in showrooms today was launched in 2010 with radical new lines that marked a big departure from its rather bland predecessor. Even with stiff competition from the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry – all newer designs than the Sonata – sales have been strong. Consumers embraced its new design language, taking home a record 230,605 units last year.
"I think we found a design language that works, the 'Fluidic Sculpture' stuff, so I would say (the new styling) is not pulling back in any way. It's more continuing to refine on that same trajectory that we're on," John Krafcik, Hyundai U.S. CEO, told WardsAuto in a recent interview. Consumers don't seem to be fazed by the its age either. "A lot of consumers are just entering (the) midsize (segment) for the first time. They don't see (the Sonata) as a three-year-old car. They see it as, 'Whoa, that's a pretty good-looking midsize car,' so it's doing quite well," added Krafcik.
Hyundai's green-cred future's so bright, its factory roof's gotta wear shades. The South Korean automaker will install that country's largest solar-panel system when it deploys about 40,000 solar voltaic panels on the roof of its Asan plant later this year.
