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Hyundai will launch 26 green models through 2020

Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises both Hyundai and Kia, believes that launching a blitz of 26 green models through 2020 could place the Korean automaker among the leaders in the segment. Only Toyota would be larger in the electrified vehicle market, if Hyundai Motor's plan works, Automotive News reports. The 26 models run the gamut of the green car field, and they include at least 12 hybrids, six PHEVs, two EVs, and two hydrogen fuel cells, according to Automotive News. If customers latch onto them, Hyundai and Kia could move as many as 300,000 electrified vehicles a year by 2020 versus about 43,000 in 2015. Kia is responsible for at least 11 of these vehicles like the upcoming Niro crossover. Meanwhile, Hyundai wants the upcoming Ioniq (above) to challenge the Toyota Prius, and the Korean company has hybrid, PHEV, and EV versions on the way. To save money on the development of so many electrified vehicles, Hyundai Motor uses shared components. "For example, all our electric motors have the same diameter," Lee Ki-Sang, Hyundai's green powertrain boss, told Automotive News. "The power output is different, but we can just adjust the width of the core winding. Or for the motor controller, we standardized to use the same printed circuit boards." Trying to go from a relatively small player to a market leader is an audacious move, but it's especially risky right now. Gas prices are the cheapest in 12 years in the US, and green car sales are down in the US and in Europe. Toyota even predicts the inexpensive fuel could cut into Prius sales, and it's far more established than Hyundai's models. The South Korean company could have an even tougher time because these efficient vehicles still lose money for now. "Our target is before 2020, we would like to make profits on these eco-friendly vehicles," Lee told Automotive News. Related Video:

Hyundai promoting younger execs in bid to 'smoothen an eventual leadership succession'

Experience versus the next generation. It's the decision any organization has to make when it comes to its succession of leadership. But even companies that value wisdom over vitality will eventually have to hand the reins to a new generation of leaders. And that seems to be what the Hyundai Motor Group is preparing for. The Korean automaker has promoted three executives in their early 50s to the rank of Executive Vice President. Chief marketing officer Cho Won-hong (50), PR chief Kong Young-woon (50) and Kim Gyun (52), head of strategic planning at Kia, are all being promoted to the role, putting them in senior leadership positions at one of the world's largest automakers. Reuters frames the promotions as earmarked to "smoothen an eventual leadership succession" at Hyundai. The family-owned company is currently chaired by Chung Mong-koo (76), who has given little indication that he's preparing to step down in the near future. But when he does, he's widely expected to relinquish control to his only son, current vice-chairman and former Kia president Chung Eui-sun (44, pictured), who is said to have chosen the aforementioned US-educated Cho for the promotion. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: SAMUEL KUBANI/AFP/Getty Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Hyundai Kia

Hyundai’s N division will tune electrics, steer clear of Genesis

At Hyundai's Namyang proving ground in a small garage emblazoned with a giant "N," Albert Biermann, the ex-BMW engineer who now heads up vehicle development for the Korean brand, recently provided a few hints about what to expect from Hyundai's nascent performance sub-brand — and that includes EVs. "We are looking for the right ideas of how to transfer the craziness of N into electrification," he said. That could be "a full EV [and] also could be a hybrid." To date, we've seen the Veloster N introduced last fall in the United States, followed by the recently announced Elantra GT N Line. Europe has the i30 N in hatchback and fastback body styles. Biermann says, "We will expand also into segments we are not in now," including "something a little bit smaller," as well as into "a different type of vehicle." Biermann also said we can expect a more powerful version of the new 2020 Hyundai Sonata — which we've just reviewed, and which will launch in the United States with a 180-hp 1.6-liter turbo and a 191-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four. But he stopped short of saying whether it would be an N or an N Line model. And it appears that the N expansion will not extend to Genesis. "There are no plans yet to make a sub-label for Genesis like we did with N for Hyundai," Biermann said. This despite the fact that nearly all of its rivals have branched out in that direction. For now, it seems, the G70 Sport is as sporty as it will get over at Genesis.