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Hyundai's green vehicle line might be called AE

When we got spy shots back in June of Hyundai's challenger for the Toyota Prius, intel suggested Hyundai would name it AE HEV, an acronym that possibly meant Advanced Experimental or Alternative Energy Hybrid Electric Vehicle. The Korea Herald reports that AE is indeed the tentative project name, and that it could be applied to an entire model line of green-only models with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric variants. We're told the hybrid's launch is slated for January 2016, the first configuration being a five-door hatchback based around the company's 1.6-liter direct-injected Cappa engine. The size of the battery pack and capability of the electric motor are still unknown. It aims to outdo the Prius in at least two ways, one of them being to exceed the Prius' rating of 21 kilometers per liter of combined fuel economy. The other would concern model range instead of on-road range: if the other powertrain options follow, the AE could be the world's first model with three different green drive configurations (if Honda doesn't get there first). The Korea Herald said Kia will be rolling out a hybrid-only vehicle of its own called the DE. We're not sure what the specs and timeline are for that car, nor if it is included in the "22 green cars" that a Hyundai spokesman told the paper the automaker plans to release by 2020. Right now we're awaiting the initial response to Hyundai's full dive into green waters with the Sonata PHEV that just went on sale. Featured Gallery Hyundai Prius-Fighter Spy Shots View 14 Photos News Source: The Korea HeraldImage Credit: Chris Doane Automotive Green Rumormill Spy Photos Hyundai Alternative Fuels Hatchback Electric Hybrid

Hyundai shocks Korea with mid-engined Veloster concept

There are many things we love here at Autoblog, but one of the quirkiest is the mid-engined hot hatch, whether it's the Renaultsport Clio V6 or the Volkswagen GTI W12-650 concept. Unfortunately, we can never seem to get our hands on one - the former never having made the transatlantic journey and the latter remained strictly a concept. And now we've got one more to salivate over.
It's called, simply enough, the Veloster Midship concept, and Hyundai is unveiling it this week at the Busan Motor Show in South Korea. As you might have guessed, it's essentially a Veloster with the engine - a 2.0-liter Theta turbo four producing 296 horsepower - mounted behind the two seats. It's also got a lightweight aluminum suspension, a reinforced chassis and extreme aero to help that mid-mounted turbo engine do its thing.
The project was undertaken by the same team that developed the initial i20 WRC rally car, but unfortunately as Hyundai itself says in the press release below (released with the solitary image above), "The Midship is a concept only to explore possibilities for the Veloster chassis and is currently not related to any future production model." Which is a bit of a shame, but hardly a surprise.

Hyundai says, maybe driverless cars won't be so bad

The allure of autonomous driving for many people is the tech's ability to free up their time behind the wheel from paying attention to the road. However, the driverless future might also increase the mobility of folks all over the world. Toyota's recent billion-dollar research investment aims to tackle both of these questions, and Hyundai now has a moving commercial that offers a glimpse at some of these possibilities. Hyundai also used a clever approach to show off its driver assistance systems in an ad last year, but this time it took a more emotional style to demonstrate the future. We don't want to spoil the optimistic spot's hook, but the video stars a little boy who just wants to drive. The way that he does it is heartwarming and beautifully shot. The commercial is in Korean, but like any good piece of marketing, the visuals break down the language barrier.