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Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell logs moon-worthy mileage, Kolle makes Renault Kangoo ZE pickup

A French company called Kolle has made a pickup truck version of the Renault Kangoo ZE. The converted version of the electric van retains the same battery and drivetrain, offering a range of 106 miles, plus a bit more utility without the restraints of a roof over the cargo area. The tailgate is separated into two hinged doors, which swing open to the side for loading and unloading. Payload is about 1,433 pounds. The price is about $16,400, which includes incentives, but not the price of the battery. Read more at Inside EVs, and get more details at the Kolle website. Drivers in southern California have put enough cumulative miles on the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell to reach the moon. The hydrogen-powered crossover recently surpassed a combined 238,900 miles, which is the average distance from Earth to the moon. Mileage and other helpful information is gathered from participating owners periodically. "Surpassing this fundamental stellar threshold gives us a glimpse into the unlimited zero-emissions potential for Hyundai fuel cells," says Hyundai's Mike O'Brien. "If a small fleet of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles can accumulate this kind of mileage in just a few short months, one can only imagine the potential for a zero-emissions hydrogen vehicle future." Read more in the press release below. A cross-country trip in a pickup running on chicken fat is scheduled for March 8. Cliff Ricketts, an agribusiness and agriscience professor at Tennessee State University, originally began the trip in November, running on biodiesel made from chicken fat. The 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup's transmission broke near Kansas City, cutting short the trip between Key West, Florida and Seattle, Washington. With the truck repaired, he hopes to make the 3,550-mile trip next month. During his earlier attempt, though, Ricketts logged fuel economy ranging from 36 to more than 45 miles per gallon. Read more at Domestic Fuel. HYUNDAI TUCSON FUEL CELL DRIVERS FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACCUMULATE SUFFICIENT MILEAGE TO REACH THE MOON EMISSIONS-FREE Cumulative Zero-emissions Mileage by Fuel Cell Drivers Surpasses 238,900 Miles FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., February 25, 2015 – Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell drivers have surpassed an impressive threshold, recently accumulating more than 238,900 miles on the roads of Southern California, all while emitting only clean water vapor.

Hyundai brings 1,000-hp Genesis Coupe to SEMA, and plenty more [w/video]

Hyundai has a thirst for horsepower. How else could we explain the scene you see above, in which there exists a 708-horsepower front-wheel-drive Sonata tuned by Bisimoto (black and white, above left) powered by Hyundai's 2.4-liter Theta II engine? Or the little red number you see hiding in the background, which, at an even 1,000 horsepower, is "the most-powerful 2.0-liter Genesis Coupe ever built," says Hyundai?
In addition to those two powerhouses, the white Sonata (above right) was styled by John Pangilinan to "[connect] Los Angeles street art culture with automotive enthusiasts," whatever that means, and it joins an ARK Performance-tuned Genesis Sedan meant to go head-to-head with Mercedes AMG and BMW M and another Genesis Sedan tuned by Toca Marketing Group with a twin-turbo'd 5.0-liter Tau V8.
All in, that's five heavily modified vehicles being shown at the 2014 SEMA Show by Hyundai (not to mention any more customs not actually sponsored by the automaker itself), and each of them is pretty successful as far as we're concerned. Check them all out for yourself in the image gallery above, and read all the details in the press release below, where you'll also find a video of the builders discussing each of their creations.

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum