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Hyundai confirms a shift to EVs, unveils fuel cell SUV

SEOUL — Hyundai confirmed on Thursday it was placing electric vehicles at the center of its product strategy — one that includes plans for a premium long-distance electric car as it seeks to catch up to Tesla and other rivals. Like Toyota, Hyundai had initially championed fuel cell technology as the future of eco-friendly vehicles but has found itself shifting to electric as Tesla shot to prominence and battery-powered cars have gained government backing in China. Hyundai's debut of its more modestly priced Ionic hybrid and electric has been well-received. But the pure electric's per-charge driving range is much shorter than the Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Bolt. Toyota is now also working on longer-distance, fast-charging electric vehicles. Hyundai first started signaling this strategic shift back in May when it first discussed plans to launch an electric sedan under its high-end Genesis brand in 2021 with a range of 500 km (310 miles) per charge. It will also introduce an electric version of its Kona small crossover with a range of 390 km in the first half of next year. "We're strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles," Executive Vice President Lee Kwang-guk told a news conference, calling the technology mainstream and realistic. The automaker and affiliate Kia, which together rank fifth in global vehicle sales, also said they were adding three plug-in vehicles to their plans for eco-friendly cars, bringing the total to 31 models by 2020. Underscoring Hyundai's electric shift, those plans include eight battery-powered and two fuel-cell vehicles — a contrast to its 2014 announcement for 22 models, of which only two were slated to be battery-powered. Hyundai also confirmed a Reuters report that it is developing its first scaleable, dedicated electric vehicle platform, which will allow the company to produce multiple models with longer driving ranges. HYDROGEN SUV Hyundai unveiled a near production version of its new fuel cell SUV with a driving range of more than 580 km per charge, compared with the 415 km for its current Tucson fuel cell SUV. The mid-sized SUV will be launched in Korea early next year, followed by U.S. and European markets. A fuel cell electric bus is slated to be unveiled late this year, while a sedan-type fuel cell car is also planned. Even so, analysts noted that gaining traction with fuel cells was going to be a long hard slog partly due to a lack of charging infrastructure.

Kia previews off-road Sorento for SEMA

Kia hasn't told us much about what it has in store for us at SEMA this year. But it is giving us a glimpse of what's to come in this latest teaser video. The short clip provides a sneak peek at the PacWet Adventure Sorento, an evidently rough-and-tumble take on the Korean automaker's midsize sport utility vehicle. Just what's going into it remains to be seen, but we can already see part of the package. There's a new tubular and sheetmetal front bumper, a snorkel intake, roof rack, winch, auxiliary lighting, knobby tires, and a Kermit-green paint job. We'd expect some sort of jacked-up suspension, too, considering this custom is for the aftermarket-obsessed crowd at SEMA. Given the brief statements Kia has issued to date, it would appear that the Sortento is just one of a variety of vehicles the company is preparing for the Vegas tuner expo. Each is poised to represent a different American region, and we're looking forward to seeing how the others take shape, as well. Related Video: 10/23/15 2015 SEMA PACWEST ADVENTURE SORENTO TEASER As Kia heads to SEMA 2015 to celebrate the American Road, here's a taste of the PacWest Adventure Sorento, a tough, off-road utility vehicle equipped with custom suspension, snorkel intake system and a paint scheme inspired by the lush forests of the region. ### 10/20/15 Kia Teases SEMA 2015 Kia is headed to this year's SEMA show to celebrate America's love for the open road and the diverse car cultures spanning the many regions of this country. Enjoy this high-speed coast-to-coast tour to whet your appetite for what we will unveil November 3rd in Las Vegas. More to come. #KiaWanderlust

2023 New York Auto Show Mega Photo Gallery: See all the new cars from the show

The 2023 New York Auto Show was a rather lively show full of North American vehicle debuts and a lot of new metal we’ve never seen before. As always, we were on the ground covering it from every angle for you, including photographing all the reveals on the show floor. There were a ton of new EVs shown and even a stunning concept with the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept. YouÂ’ll be able to see them all, from the production Ram REV to the little (but now much bigger) Kona, in the numerous galleries below.   2024 Kia EV9 2024 Kia EV9 View 7 Photos 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line View 5 Photos 2025 Ram REV 2025 Ram 1500 REV View 6 Photos Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept View 9 Photos 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric, N Line and Limited 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric View 21 Photos 2024 Jeep Wrangler 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe View 22 Photos 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness View 14 Photos 2024 VW Atlas Peak Edition 2024 VW Atlas Peak Edition View 7 Photos Hyundai Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Concept Hyundai Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Concept View 9 Photos   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept is coming to reality