2014 Hyundai Sonata Gls on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Alguersuari out for Formula E season 2, hydrogen range test video

A pair of hydrogen proponents drove a Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell 1,480.73 miles in 24 hours. Arnt-Goran Hartvig and Marius Bornstein, nicknamed The Viking and The Scientist, drove a 186-mile route in Germany repeatedly as many times as they could over the course of a full day to set the distance record. The advantage of short refueling times for the hydrogen vehicle helped the duo spend more time on the road. See the video above, and read more from Hybrid Cars. Jaime Alguersuari will miss the second season of Formula E. His license was suspended after fainting at the end of the Moscow ePrix, and he is still waiting for a diagnosis. "During the month of July I underwent several tests for which there has not been a medical resolution and I am still waiting for the final diagnosis," says Alguersuari. "For this reason I need to announce that, unfortunately, I will not be able to take part in the FIA Formula E Championship for the 2015/16 season with my team DS Virgin Racing." The former Formula 1 driver will make an announcement about his future in September. Read more at Autosport. Jeb Bush has come out against the Renewable Fuel Standard. In an interview in an Iowa Falls Dairy Queen, the Republican presidential hopeful gave his opinion about the ethanol mandate. "The best way to get to energy security, in my mind, is letting the markets work," says Bush. "So the RFS has had great success, and over a period of time I think it has to be phased out." Ditching the ethanol mandate could hurt Bush in the important corn-growing state of Iowa, though he thinks his record as Florida governor will help his status with voters. Read more at Grist, and from KCCI.

Hyundai HG350 ready to take on Europe's Transits and Sprinters

Here in North America, Hyundai has been historically known as a purveyor of affordable, content-laden everyday cars and crossovers. More recently, it's also been pushing upmarket and attempting to gain respect for its sporting joneses. In other parts of the world, however, the Korean automaker is a major force in commercial vehicles, providing everything from chassis cabs and dump trucks to fullsize motor coaches. Now, it's looking to push further overseas, squarely into Europe's already mature van business with this new HG350, a new commercial vehicle that will form the basis for a cargo van, passenger transport and flatbed truck.
This three-pronged approach will see Hyundai fighting directly against the new Ford Transit, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and models like the recently overhauled Fiat Ducato/Peugeot Boxer twins. The rear-drive, six-speed manual-equipped range is available in 3.5-ton cargo or flatbed spec, or in 4.0-ton guise with as many as 15 seats. The cargo version, incidentally, can hold up to 456 cubic feet of stuff. Regardless of configuration, power comes from a common-rail diesel displacing 2.5 liters with either 148 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque or 168 hp and 311 lb-ft.
With the American market finally embracing Euro-style cargo vans, does that mean that Hyundai might bring the HG350 here? Not likely. "While a heck of a vehicle, this isn't anything we are seriously considering right now for the US market," Jim Trainor, Hyundai Motor America's national manager of product public relations, tells Autoblog.

Hyundai in hot water over suicide-themed commercial

There's a surprisingly long and storied history of automakers creating suicide-themed advertisements. You'd think the companies and their marketing firms would have figured out by now that such ads always result in a swirl of backlash - see examples from Audi, Citroën, General Motors and Volkswagen, all pasted down below, as proof.
It seems somebody at Hyundai didn't get the message that many people don't find suicide a laughing matter. A video making the rounds on the web that was, according to Hyundai, produced in the UK, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by pumping exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment of his car. As it turns out, the self-assisted death doesn't quite go according to plan.
Scroll down below to see the ad from Hyundai, a slew of similar spots from other automakers, and an official statement from Hyundai. After that, we suggest reading this piece from our friends at AOL Autos to see how deeply such thoughtless advertisements can affect people.