2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 V8 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and EV Buyer's Guide: Which one do you want?

If you're shopping for a new vehicle these days, there's a litany of acronyms, buzzwords, and technobabble to further complicate an already difficult decision. But if you're looking at a green powertrain, you have three basic choices to compare: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and "EV" or, electric vehicle. So what are they and which one — if any — is right for you? Research your next new vehicle using Autoblog's Car Finder. Gasoline-Electric Hybrids By now, most people are familiar with the concept of a hybrid car. Thank Toyota's Prius for that. At its most basic, a hybrid vehicle has two powertrains, one gasoline and one electric, which work together for maximum efficiency. At low speeds, the engine can shut off entirely, relying solely on the battery for propulsion. The battery is either charged as you drive by converting kinetic energy into potential energy via a complex regenerative braking system, or directly off of the gas motor. This is a very hands-off, behind-the-scenes system as all the driver has to is put in gas and drive as normal. Hybrids come in all shapes and sizes and, according to the EPA, range in fuel economy from 58 mpg for the Hyundai Ioniq Blue all the way down to 13 mpg for the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta. Best For: Anyone who want to see their fuel consumption go down without many sacrifices. You can easily find a hybrid sedan, hatchback, crossover, SUV or even a pickup truck (i f you can find one). Best of all, a hybrid requires no special equipment to be installed at home, or added work for the driver. Hybrids do cost more than traditionally-powered competitors, so make sure to compare projected fuel savings with how much extra a hybrid will cost – it may take a surprisingly long time to break even. The EPA provides a handy calculator for this very purpose. Our Favorite Hybrids: 2017 Toyota Prius 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid Plug-In Hybrids Sometimes referred to as a PHEV, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, this is a baby-step towards full electrification. Armed with a much larger battery pack than a hybrid, PHEVs can go between 12 ( Mercedes-Benz GLE550e) and 97 ( BMW i3 w/Range Extender) miles on electricity alone depending on the model and your driving style. Like a normal hybrid, the driver is largely unaware of which power source is currently in use, even as they switch over — either because the battery is drained, or the driving circumstances require more power.

Hyundai takes fully autonomous fuel cell vehicles on 70 mph road trip

Hyundai has announced three test vehicles based on its upcoming NEXO fuel cell vehicles, fitted with Level 4 autonomous technology, have completed a trial journey of 118 miles from Seoul to Pyeongchang across the Korean peninsula completely autonomously. It's a world first for fuel cell powered vehicles to reach Level 4 autonomous driving, which translates as "mind off" driving with no driver input needed. One of the interesting things about the NEXO fleet's trial is that it was performed in regular traffic at public highways, at speeds up to nearly 70mph. Earlier autonomous car testing in Korea has been performed on selected sections of road and at lower speeds than the highest allowed Korean highway speed reached in this trial. Hyundai says the test drive included following the traffic's flow, completing lane changes, and even handling motorway toll booths — and that the only human intervention needed was pressing "Cruise" and "Set" buttons on the three cars' steering wheels, to put them in autonomous mode. The NEXO has been designed as a hydrogen fuel cell car from the ground up, instead of the earlier, ICE-based Tucson FCEV. Hyundai claims a target range of 500 miles (NEDC) for the NEXO, for a single, five-minute hydrogen charge, and a system efficiency of 60 percent. On the run to CES from L.A. last month, Hyundai declared a real-world range of 360 miles for the tested NEXO; the 120-kW motor takes the fuel cell crossover to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds. The vehicles used in the South Korean trial use a combination of radar, lidar and cameras to monitor their surroundings, and some of these systems are already used in production Hyundai vehicles. At CES, Hyundai announced its partnership with Aurora Innovation, which is a Silicon Valley startup set up by former Alphabet Inc and Tesla engineers; the autonomous NEXOs are likely to feature Aurora's input. Hyundai sees commercialization of Level 4 vehicles taking place in 2021, though only in what it calls "pilot smart cities," or locations tailored to be connected enough to make the implementation of autonomous tech easier. "Fully" autonomous driving would be at commercial level by 2030. As for the vehicle itself, it features virtual assistant technology that is complemented with noise canceling to further turn the NEXO into a cocoon-like pod; there's also "Home Connect" tech which enables the passengers to use smart home gadgets remotely during their commute. Related Video:

Hyundai Sonata PHEV will go 27 miles on electric power

The Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid will have an all-electric range of 27 miles. That will make it the second-highest among US plug-in hybrids, after the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is technically an extended-range plug-in, according to Chevy, but we feel fine comparing the two here. Either way, the Hyundai beats out the 19-mile all-electric range of Ford's two plug-in hybrids and the paltry 11 miles of the Prius Plug In. The good news is that the Sonata's numbers are a bit better than previously expected. The plug-in hybrid was forecast to be able to go 24 miles on electricity alone. The Sonata PHEV also delivers 202 but, though, as well all know, range drops precipitously if you're shooting to use all of them horses at once. The seventh-generation Sonata body style is also sleeker and delivers better aerodynamics. No word on how much the PHEV will cost yet, but it will go on sale in the US this fall. And while the Sonata PHEV will technically available for Hyundai dealers to stock in all 50 states, if you live outside of California or the nine states that follow its zero-emissions vehicles rules, you will need to special order the vehicle. Based on the US Department of Energy's Fueleconomy.gov site, the Sonata PHEV's miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating of 99 beats out that of the Ford Fusion Energi and C-Max PHEVs but trails the Chevrolet Volt's. Again, the Sonata came in with better numbers than we previously thought, as it was expected to have a 93 MPGe rating. You can read our First Drive of the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive View 20 Photos News Source: US Department of Energy via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco/AOL Green Hyundai Hybrid PHEV mpge ev range hyundai sonata plug-in hybrid sonata plug-in hybrid