2010 Hyundai Sonata Gls Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Quality issues drive resignation of Hyundai R&D president

Hyundai released a statement Monday announcing that its research and development president, Kwon Moon-sik, and two other executives resigned from their positions, Reuters reports, to "take responsibility for a series of quality issues," according to the statement.
The resignations seem to be related to recent recalls around the globe. A few weeks back, Hyundai recalled 27,500 Genesis sedans from model years 2009 to 2012 in the US for brake fluid that doesn't prevent corrosion of the electronic hydraulic control unit. The recall recently was expanded to include 43,500 Genesis sedans in the US, but nearly 150,000 are reportedly affected including the South Korean market.
"The latest personnel change shows our firm commitment to quality management and reaffirms our will to continuously improve R&D competitiveness," says Hyundai.

Hyundai going with AeroVironment for dealership PHEV chargers

Hyundai will partner with AeroVironment as the supplier for charging stations at dealers for the 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid. The 240-volt chargers will be able to top up the PHEV in less than three hours. Customers can also order AeroVironment's home chargers directly from the automaker's showrooms. AeroVironment is a veteran to working with automakers on charging solutions and has experience partnering with Fiat, Ford, Nissan, and BMW. The company also installed a network of locations along the I-5 corridor in Oregon. Customers can already buy the Sonata PHEV in ten states, including California, for a starting price of $35,435 (after $835 destination but before any tax incentives). The sedan has a total output of 202 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder and electric motor. The 9.8-kWh lithium-polymer battery offers 27 miles of electric range and an EPA-estimated 99 miles per gallon equivalent. Hyundai dealers might have more green cars on the lot to use these chargers in the coming years. The company reportedly has a project codenamed AE under development, and rumor indicates that hybrid, PHEV, and EV models could be on the way. Hyundai Motor America Picks AeroVironment to Provide Dealer Charging Stations for the All-new 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Model AeroVironment to provide reliable and easy-to-use EV charging stations in Hyundai dealerships Hyundai becomes the seventh major auto manufacturer to choose AeroVironment as its preferred dealer charging station provider Hyundai drivers have the option to purchase AeroVironment's portable TurboCord charging system or its wall-mounted EVSE-RS charging station SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 24, 2015 – Hyundai Motor America has selected AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) as the preferred provider for charging system installation at its dealerships across North America for its all-new 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid. Hyundai is the seventh plug-in electric vehicle (EV) auto manufacturer to choose AeroVironment as one of its suppliers. The 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid comes with a high-capacity lithium-polymer hybrid battery system that delivers an all-electric range of 27 miles before switching to hybrid mode. The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid also comes with a lifetime hybrid battery warranty. The AeroVironment 240-volt TurboCord and the EVSE-RS charging station can charge the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid in less than three hours versus the approximate nine hours needed using a standard 120-volt charging cable.

Major Alexa deal will bring Amazon services into more cars

Amazon and its personal assistance service Alexa are partnering with HERE Technologies to create a new connected mobility service powerhouse. Alexa will integrate with HERE's navigation and location services to offer what the two companies are calling a "true voice-first-navigation experience." Alexa will come pre-integrated with HERE navigation on-demand, which the automakers can then enable, which should help cut down on development time. One of the biggest features from this partnership is how directions could be offered and delivered using HERE's Open Location Platform (OLP). Currently, the OLP uses data from several car manufacturers to provide insights into real-time location and traffic. But on Alexa, this could be used to provide directional context. For example, Alexa could say, "Turn right after [such-and-such a building]" rather than just, "Turn right." Amazon has been testing the automotive waters throughout the past decade. Its home-based Alexa-enabled devices are already offered with connections to several manufacturers. To various degrees of integration, it can already pair with Ford, Genesis, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and BMW vehicles. At the end of 2018, Amazon took things a step further when it introduced the Echo Auto, a Bluetooth-connected Alexa assistant device that can be physically kept in a car. Currently only available by invitation (its production and distribution have been delayed), the $25 device is essentially a voice service that works together with smartphones and connects to a car's speakers. Users can command it to do a variety of things, including playing music, setting navigation, opening the garage door, finding local stores, making calls, setting reminders, and thousands of other "skills." According to The Verge, nearly 1 million people have already ordered the device. Some (well, probably few) may know HERE Technologies from its maps on Windows Phones. We all know how that turned out, though. Today, HERE has expanded into a multi-function suite that is available in multiple mediums, including many automotive applications. HERE Automotive's connected vehicle services include real-time traffic, parking, weather, fuel prices, hazard warnings, traffic sign integration, and even EV charging stations. These all incorporate and extend the use of HERE's location and tracking programming. HERE is already partnered with BMW, Audi, Daimler, Intel, Mobileye, NVIDIA, and has investments from Bosch, Continental and Pioneer.