Hyundai Sonata * on 2040-cars

Auto blog

10 of 18 midsize SUVs earn 'good' IIHS side impact safety rating

It's not terribly surprising that midsize SUVs earned better safety ratings than small SUVs in the latest side-impact tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Just how much better they scored, on the other hand, certainly raises an eyebrow. Ten out of 18 midsize SUVs earned the highest rating of 'good' in the stringent new test, altered for vehicles starting with the 2020 model year with a heavier barrier (4,200 pounds) that moves at a higher speed (37 miles per hour) and is fitted with a hard honeycomb frontal structure. By way of contrast, just one out of of 20 small SUVs earned a 'good' score.  SUVs that receiving 'good' scores were the Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Aviator, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen ID.4. For EV fans, it's worth noting the ID.4 was the only electric vehicle included in the test. The Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse scraped away with 'acceptable' ratings while the Honda Passport, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Kia Telluride and Nissan Murano were deemed merely 'marginal' in the tough new test. Only two models — the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen ID.4 — earned a "Good" rating in every test category.  Interestingly, the Jeep Wrangler would have scored a 'good' rating if it were equipped with side airbags for the rear seating positions. It would likely be an engineering challenge to equip its removable top and/or doors with airbags, but the lack of that safety feature allowed the head of the rear passenger dummy to hit the vertical support of the top. Otherwise, the Wrangler scored good ratings across the board. The new Ford Bronco, which makes more allowances for side-impact safety, has not yet been tested.  The popular Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs stand out in the test with 'poor' ratings for driver pelvis injuries. The Nissan Murano, a vehicle last redesigned for the 2015 model year, was the only vehicle tested that received a 'poor' rating for its structure and safety cage. Videos of the tests of 12 of these 18 SUVs can be found on the IIHS' YouTube page. Related video: Green Buick Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jeep Kia Mazda Nissan Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Safety Crossover SUV IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Hyundai looking to add plant in Mexico

Mexico is rapidly becoming the go-to place for North American auto production, and companies including Toyota, General Motors, and Audi are all building new plants, expanding or shifting some production there. Now, Hyundai is investigating joining them in the future. "I'm sure that over the years we'll see production of Hyundai products in Mexico," Pedro Albarran, managing director for the automaker in Mexico, said to Bloomberg. Albarran indicates that a likely location for such a factory might be the state of Nuevo Leon, where Kia also has a forthcoming $1 billion plant. The site would be an ideal location near suppliers. It's probably going to be a while before any of Hyundai's models start coming out of Mexico. According to Bloomberg, the automaker wants to wait to make a final decision until sales there reach around 50,000 annual units, and that benchmark isn't expected until 2018. While Kia's plant is slated to have a capacity around 300,000 vehicles a year when it opens in 2016, Albarran thinks Hyundai might start smaller at just over 100,000 annual examples. Some of those would likely include subcompact models for the Mexican market. The Korean automaker was rumored to be looking into a factory south of the border as far back as 2013.

Recharge Wrap-up: Peugeot eF01 folding e-bike, Australia orders Hyundai FCEVs

Australia has ordered 20 hydrogen powered vehicles from Hyundai. The Australian Capital Territory Government in Canberra will take delivery of the fleet of Hyundai's next-generation fuel cell vehicles (set to replace the Tucson Fuel Cell in 2018) for its Renewable Transport Fuels Test Berth project. As part of the program, the vehicles will be powered by hydrogen made with a Siemens Silyzer System with electricity from Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia. The Siemens refueler is capable of powering over 1, 000 fuel cell vehicles each averaging 14,000 miles per year. Read more from Hyundai. Peugeot has unveiled its eF01 electrically assisted folding bike. Meant to facilitate multimodal travel, Peugeot's eF01 folds up quickly to be thrown in the trunk of a car, carried on public transport, or wheeled in its folded position while walking. It's a little hefty, at 37 pounds, but its compactness helps make up for that. It can be charged in the cargo area of any vehicle with a 12-volt outlet, so it's ready to provide 18 miles of electric assistance at speeds of up to 12 mph. It can also communicate with a smartphone via Bluetooth to show current charge and range. Read more from Peugeot. A123 Systems will collaborate with Argonne National Laboratory to create safe, better performing lithium-ion batteries. The partners will focus on cathode technology in order to increase energy density and durability in order to improve the driving range of electric vehicles. A123 expects to increase energy density and range by more than 60 percent over its current offerings. "Working with Argonne will further advance our already strong presence in plug-in vehicles and support the increasing market demand globally," says A123 Systems CEO Jason Forcier. "We look forward to expanding our customer base as we offer increasingly greater range to our plug-in vehicle programs without compromising on the life and safety performance that the market has come to expect from A123." Read more in A123's press release. Featured Gallery Peugeot eF01 Folding E-Bike Related Gallery 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell: LA 2013 View 19 Photos News Source: Hyundai, Peugeot, A123 Systems Green Hyundai Peugeot Alternative Fuels Bikes Electric Hydrogen Cars recharge wrapup