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Hyundai patenting speed bump detection

Often patents are more about solving a small, annoying problem than really taking on the big issues. Take Hyundai's recent filing for a system to detect speed bumps, for example. Other than teens with a fresh license and ground-scraping supercar drivers, no one really sees spotting these traffic-slowing devices as the bane of their existence. However, the Korean automaker is out to make driving just a little more convenient for everyone with this tech. The Hyundai patent combines several pieces of currently available technology in a new way. GPS, a camera, and multiple sensors identify an oncoming speed bump, and they then measure its height, width, and curvature. With that info, the software calculates the appropriate speed to drive over the hump. If drivers are going too fast, then a warning message tells them to slow down. The patent is a straightforward solution to a problem that doesn't seem to really exist for many drivers. However, while Hyundai makes no mention of this in the documents, this tech could be extremely useful for applications in autonomous vehicles. All the system would need is the additional ability to slow itself automatically, and the driverless car could potentially handle a speed bump just as well as a human.

Hyundai spices up Euro lineup with i20 Coupe, i30 Turbo, revised i40

Hyundai's model line in North America is made up of nameplates like Accent, Elantra and Sonata, but across the pond in Europe, the Korean automaker takes an alphanumeric approach. And it's just revealed a whole slate of new models. Arguably the most enticing of the fresh batch of Hyundais destined for Europe is the new i20 Coupe. Joining the recently refreshed, Ford Fiesta-sized i20 five-door hatch, the new three-door gets a more rakish roofline, beefed-up wheel arches and other visual enhancements to appeal to a younger demographic. European buyers will be able to choose between four engines – two diesels and two gasoline units – ranging from 1.1 liters to 1.4 liters, offering anywhere between 74 horsepower up to 99 hp, with a new 1.0-liter turbo three to follow. Hyundai Motor Europe has also revealed a refreshed version of its Focus-sized i30 with refreshed styling and upgraded equipment. The kicker, though, is the new i30 Turbo that packs the Korean automaker's 1.6-liter turbo four, but detuned from the 201 horsepower it produces in the Veloster Turbo and Kia Cee'd GT to "only" 183 hp. Although the refreshed i30 is available in three-door hatch, five-door hatch or wagon bodystyles, and with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch, the turbo engine is only being offered with the manual and in hatchback form. Finally, Hyundai has also announced a refreshed version of the i40. Just a bit smaller than the Ford Fusion/Mondeo, the i40 is available in sedan and wagon forms, and benefits in this latest iteration from updated sheetmetal, a more refined cabin, upgraded equipment and a new diesel engine displacing 1.7 liters and putting out 113 or 139 horsepower, channeled through a six-speed manual or (on the more powerful version) a seven-speed DCT. Interested parties will want to scope out images of all the new models in the accompanying galleries and details in the trio of press releases below. DIFFERENTIATED BY DESIGN: HYUNDAI MOTOR INTRODUCES NEW GENERATION i20 COUPE - Hyundai Motor reveals New Generation i20 Coupe - Clear design differentiation for unique three-door - Extends the appeal of New Generation i20 to younger customers High Wycombe, 10 December 2014 - Hyundai Motor has today unveiled the New Generation i20 Coupe. For the first time, Hyundai has created a three-door B-segment car that is significantly differentiated from the five-door model.

Renault, Nissan and Hyundai face shutdowns in India over workers' COVID fears

CHENNAI, India — Automakers Renault, its alliance partner Nissan and Hyundai face temporary factory closures in India due to growing unrest among workers concerned about rising COVID-19 infections. Workers at Renault-Nissan's car plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu will go on strike on Wednesday because their COVID-related safety demands have not been met, a union representing the workers told the company in a letter on Monday. Hyundai said it would suspend operations at its plant, also in Tamil Nadu, for five days starting Tuesday, after several workers staged a brief, sit-in protest on Monday amid rising cases in the state. "The management agreed to close the plant after workers expressed concerns over safety after two employees succumbed to COVID," E. Muthukumar, president of the Hyundai Motor India Employees Union, told Reuters. The unrest highlights the challenges companies face in India amid a huge wave of COVID-19 infections, an overwhelmed health system and a shortage of vaccines which is making employees more fearful. Tamil Nadu is one of the worst hit states with more than 30,000 cases a day last week. The state, an auto hub known as India's Detroit, has imposed a lockdown until May 31 but allowed some factories, including auto plants, to continue operating. The strike threat at the Renault-Nissan plant came ahead of a court hearing on Monday over allegations from workers that social distancing norms were being flouted and factory health policies did not sufficiently address the risk to lives. Renault-Nissan has said it is following COVID-19 safety protocols. At the hearing, a lawyer for the workers argued that while the company had reduced the number of shifts, production numbers had not been cut and the headcount remained the same leading to crowding on the factory floor. The company told the court it had reduced the workforce to around 5,000 from 8,000. It also said it had vaccinated employees over 45 and was willing to inoculate those under 45 if vaccines were made available. The two-judge bench presiding over the case said that while the health of workers is paramount, if industries go down there will be no place for them to work. They also said the company must not take advantage of the exemption granted by the state and should reduce production to meet only necessary export orders. "The production should have fallen ... You also have to assuage the feeling of the workers," said the court, which will next hear the case on May 31.