Hyundai develops new EREV drive
The extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain enables ranges of up to 1,000 kilometres – roughly twice as much as conventional battery electric vehicles. The range extender is a small combustion engine with a generator that only kicks in when battery power is running low. It supplies additional power for the battery, but does not drive the vehicle directly. The latter is the m
The Korea Economic Daily was the first to report the development. According to insiders, Hyundai wants to use the EREV powertrain primarily for SUVs and pickup trucks. Hyundai is now working on EREVs because sales of conventional electric cars are declining, and the gap between combustion engines and electric vehicles is still wide. The issues of charging infrastructure and insufficient range also play an important role.
“It is still years before we see an affordable EV equipped with batteries that can travel 1,000 km on a single charge. EREVs will be competitive for at least ten years before the arrival of the EV era,” an industry official told Korea Economic Daily.
EREVs do not require an extensive charging infrastructure, as they can be refuelled with petrol. However, as EREVs are powered by electric motors, they have much better acceleration than vehicles with combustion engines. Nevertheless, there are also local emissions as soon as the combustion engine is running.
“Global automakers will enter a period of suffering for at least two to three years starting in the second half of this year,” a senior Hyundai Motor official said, according to Korea Economic Daily. “Hybrids and EREVs are our weapons to fight this battle.”
According to insiders, Hyundai Motor Group is expected to roll out its EREV system for its flagship Hyundai Santa Fe and Genesis GV70 SUVs in two to three years. The next generation of the Group’s pickups – codenamed TE for Hyundai Motor and TV for Kia – will also be equipped with EREV drive systems and roll off the production line in 2028 or 2029. The Group wants to attack the important US market with the pickups.
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