2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Uber app for Apple Watch, Hyundai brings ix35 Fuel Cell to Australia

Uber has updated its app to support the upcoming Apple Watch. Users will be able to hail a car with a single tap directly from the wearable device. The Uber app for the Apple Watch will also let the user check on the driver's progress. The Apple Watch launches on April 24. Read more at iPhone Hacks. The Place at Terracina in Austin, Texas will offer Car2go services onsite. Through a partnership with real estate group MC Companies, the carsharing service will have six dedicated parking spots at the community's entrance for residents and other nearby users. "We know our residents will benefit from the Car2Go service and hope it helps them share the good life with others," says MC Companies Vice President of Marketing Eric Brown. Read more in the press release from MC Companies below. Hyundai has debuted the ix35 (Tucson) Fuel Cell in Australia. Along with giving Australia its first hydrogen vehicle, Hyundai is also unveiling a solar hydrogen refueler. The refueling station, located at Hyundai's Sydney headquarters, uses solar power to run the electrolyzer to make hydrogen from water onsite. Hyundai's Bill Thomas told 3AW that a future where most vehicles on the road are powered by hydrogen is "a way off. We're working on our next-generation fuel cell vehicle which we're hoping to bring out in 2018, but even at that stage, we're only talking in small numbers." Listen at 3AW, and read more at RenewEconomy. MC Companies Partners with Car2Go Brings Innovative Service to The Place at Terracina with Car2Go SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars are a costly investment. We can't all buy our own and we understand that life can get in the way of being financially stable enough to purchase one. Living expenses, bills and unexpected costs pop up all the time. Car 2 Go is making it easy to have access to a car no matter what life throws at you. MC Companies is teaming up with Car2Go to bring this convenient service to The Place at Terracina. Car2Go now has six spaces for cars to be dropped off and picked up at the entrance of the community and this is the furthest North location that Car2Go has in the city. This provides residents, and people in the area, with shared vehicles to help them navigate through their days with ease. "We are excited to have Car2Go on our property and can't wait to share it with our residents," says community manager Rachel Sypho.

Hyundai will launch Genesis brand in December

Hyundai is about to go global with a new, high-end sub-brand called Genesis. Rumors of this spinoff have been swirling for years, but an announcement Tuesday confirms that the Genesis brand will launch in December of this year. "To elevate and differentiate the Genesis brand from Hyundai, a distinct design identity, emblem, naming structure, and customer service offering is being established," the automaker said in a statement. A Korean report states that Genesis will kick off with a new version of the Equus, set to launch next month, called G90. The rest of the lineup will follow suit with that naming structure (Infiniti isn't using it anymore, after all). The Genesis sedan as we know it will be called G80, and a new midsize model will be G70. A luxury SUV and sport coupe will round out the range, and all six models will launch by 2020. The rear-wheel-drive, midsize sedan is expected to debut in the second half of 2017. In order to properly create an identity of its own, Hyundai is creating the Prestige Design Division. Beginning in mid-2016, this group will be lead by Luc Donckerwolke, who was formerly responsible for design at several Volkswagen Group brands, including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat, and Skoda. Hyundai Motor Group's chief design officer, Peter Schreyer, will oversee the work of Donckerwolke's new division. Genesis will initially launch in North America, China, Korea, and the Middle East. Hyundai says it will expand to Europe and other parts of Asia as Genesis grows. "The Genesis models will provide technological innovation, excellent driving performance and luxury to customers. Every Genesis model will be created with the needs of our customers in mind, so the resulting car will perfectly meet their needs without any unnecessary burden or excess," said Woong-Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. Hyundai's full announcement can be found here, or in the press release below.

South Korea firms up fuel economy regs following Hyundai/Kia debacle

According to a report from Reuters, South Korea's government has drafted strict new rules for automakers to follow when calculating fuel economy. The legislation comes after a major snafu by Hyundai and Kia that resulted in the automakers lowering the estimated fuel mileage of many popular models - some by several miles per gallon, including the Soul subcompact above - and compensating owners in the US and Canada for the reduction.
The new fuel economy rules were announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea and will see average mileage ratings drop by roughly three to five percent, according to the report. In addition, manufacturers found guilty of overstating mileage figures will be liable for fines of up to $900,000.
These sweeping new regulations will go into effect in the second half of 2013 and, while they won't have any effect on EPA estimates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the United States, they are expected to result in new ratings for the two automakers in their home market of South Korea, where they enjoy a whopping 70-percent market share.