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Hyundai considering pickup after good reaction to Santa Cruz

The Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz pickup concept was one of the stars of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show and even earned fifth place on Autoblog's Editors' Choice list of favorite debuts. The strong response might have been enough to get it made. Hyundai research and development director Park Byung-cheol said that the company was considering building the truck, according to Reuters. He warned, though, that there were still some obstacles in the way of the pickup arriving to showrooms without saying what those were. Rumors about Hyundai considering a pickup in the US go back several years but were fruitless. The Santa Cruz's unveiling really reignited things, though. The North American arm of the Korean brand reportedly chose Detroit for the debut so that foreign executives could see the media reaction to the concept. That gamble might have paid off. Hyundai's pickup at dealers might not look like the Santa Cruz concept, though. The company said the version in Detroit had nothing production-ready about it and even lacked an interior. At the time, a platform still hadn't been decided on, and the brand had several internal design studies underway. Related Video:

Hyundai bringing Elantra GT, special edition Veloster to Chicago

Hyundai will be bringing two new products to next week's Chicago Auto Show, a company source confirmed to Autoblog. The first is a freshened version of the Elantra GT – pictured above as a 2014 model – and the other is a special edition of the Veloster hatchback. Our source was mum about specific details, but said that the Elantra GT refresh was simply that – nothing crazy or all-new. In other words, we expect some lightly touched-up styling, and perhaps some improvements to the interior refinement, infotainment and technology, and maybe powertrain. As we reported earlier, the two-door Coupe is no longer part of the Elantra lineup, so these changes might be a way for Hyundai to further differentiate the GT from the sedan. As for that Veloster, it won't be anything revolutionary, either. Hyundai has historically used the Chicago show to debut special editions of the Veloster – take a look at last year's Re:Flex, for example – and we expect the same this time around. Perhaps a new matte paint finish? That's been a popular choice for Veloster Turbo buyers, after all. Whatever may be in store, we'll have the full scoop next week during the Chicago festivities. Stay tuned. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT View 21 Photos Chicago Auto Show Hyundai Hatchback Economy Cars hyundai elantra gt

Human waste can be reused as hydrogen for Hyundai Tucson FCEV

Here's the recipe: separate the water out of some sewage, leaving the biosolids behind. Then pipe those solids into airless tanks and let some microbes go to town. These bugs release a gas (roughly 60 percent methane, 40 percent CO2) which you can burn to power the plant where you're doing all this work but remember to send some of the methane to a tri-generation machine that leaves you with electricity, heat and hydrogen. It might sound a bit complicated, but this process is working in prototype form at the Orange County Sanitation District's Fountain Valley waste facility in California, and hydrogen car drivers in the area - including those of the upcoming Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV - can even power their rides from the end product. UC Irvine's National Fuel Cell Research Center's Jack Brouwer developed the process and he says reusing waste to move cars, "smells like money." Hyundai will soon start leasing the H2 CUV for $499 a month ($2,999 down) for 36 months, including free hydrogen refueling and Hyundai's Valet Maintenance. The Korean automaker says it has had a surprising number of people express an interest in the vehicle. We wonder if a waste-powered hydrogen station will make fuel cell technology more or less appealing. Read more details over at the Korea Herald. Featured Gallery 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell: LA 2013 View 19 Photos News Source: Korea Herald Green Hyundai Technology Emerging Technologies Hydrogen Cars tucson