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Audi and Hyundai team up to boost hydrogen fuel cell cars

Hyundai agreed a deal with Audi on Wednesday to collaborate on hydrogen car technology, hoping to boost an energy segment that has lagged behind battery electric vehicles. The South Korean firm wants to increase the sales and acceptance of hydrogen cars, which are propelled by electricity generated by fuel cells but have been held back by a lack of infrastructure and the push for battery electric vehicles by the likes of Tesla. The pair will be able to access each other's intellectual property and share components, including any new parts developed by Audi, which is responsible for hydrogen fuel cell technology in the Volkswagen Group, the world's biggest car seller. Hyundai hopes that the move will create greater demand for vehicles such as its ix35 model and bring down costs to make the technology profitable. "We want to provide to our component suppliers more chance and we want to have competition between component suppliers," Sae Hoon Kim, the head of Hyundai's R&D fuel cell group, told Reuters in an interview in London. "We also want to make them to have competition with other suppliers, and that competition will bring down the cost." Carmakers such as Toyota have touted the benefits of hydrogen vehicles, which take less time to refuel than the recharge times of battery electric cars, but are expensive and suffer from a lack of refuelling stations. Many carmakers are focusing on battery electric vehicles, which can take between half an hour and half a day to recharge, but are increasingly able to use a growing network of charging points. Auto firms are teaming up to share the cost of developing greener technologies to replace combustion engines as regulators around the world crack down on emissions. GM and Honda have a partnership to jointly develop electric vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells that are expected to go on sale in 2020, while BMW is working with Toyota. Kim said that a toughening of European Union carbon emission limits in 2025 would create a need for more hydrogen cars. Hyundai sold 200 such models last year and expects to sell thousands this year, but Kim said profitability was still far off. "100,000 or 300,000 vehicles per year per company, when that comes, I think we can make money," he said. Reporting by Costas PitasRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Auto News Green Plants/Manufacturing Audi Hyundai Alternative Fuels Future Vehicles Hydrogen Cars

Hyundai Veloster Turbo BTR Edition goes demonic at SEMA

Just a few days after Halloween, Blood Type Racing's custom Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec is bringing a demonic look to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Nov. 3. This mean little hatchback sports some sinister carbon black paint with crimson accents all around, and a set of red projector headlights top off the devilish details. What's happening under the hood is pretty fiendish, too. The BTR Edition Veloster starts with Hyundai's 1.6-liter four-cylinder, but it's strengthened with parts like forged connecting rods and pistons. The company then adds a high-boost Garrett turbo and retuned ECU. The result is over 500 horsepower to go like a bat out of hell. Beyond the wicked black-and-red aesthetic, Blood Type Racing also fits a carbon-fiber wide body kit, complete with crimson canards at the front corners. Inside, the interior is replaced with a four-point roll cage and racing bucket. The driver can still enjoy some music thanks to a suite of Rockford Fosgate speakers. The Veloster BTR Edition joins a growing slate of custom Hyundais at SEMA this year. In addition to this hellacious hot hatch, there's also a 500-hp Genesis Coupe and a 700-horsepower Tucson. BLOOD TYPE RACING RETURNS TO SEMA, BRINGING ALONG A SINISTER VELOSTER TURBO FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 7, 2015 – Blood Type Racing Inc., the renowned Chicago-based tuner known for his extreme take on Korean vehicles, has revealed its Veloster Turbo R-Spec built for SEMA. The BTR Edition Veloster has an evil twist, designed to look as though it just switched over to the dark side. The car will be revealed at Hyundai's SEMA press conference on November 3 at 11:30 a.m. PT, in Las Vegas. The vehicle's evil appearance began with a "Carbon Black" paint job, accented with a red racing stripe running from the front splitter up onto the hood. A carbon fiber wide-body kit gives the car a muscular, more aggressive stance, and front-mounted aero canards, front splitter and a rear deck spoiler provide down force at speed. Red accents on the custom SSR three-piece wheels, along with red projector "demon eye" headlamps add a final demonic touch to the vehicle's exterior. Using the Veloster's 1.6-liter "Gamma" four-cylinder as a starting block, BTR added new cylinder sleeves, a high-boost turbocharger from Garrett, and custom connecting rods and pistons.

Hyundai and Kia adding Google Maps API to nav systems

Hyundai's Blue Link and Kia's UVO infotainment systems will be adding three Google features: Send2Car, Point of Interest Search and Local Search by Voice. Send2Car lets travelers send destinations to their vehicle's navigation system from a computer or via a mobile phone app, and the POI and local searches are continuously updated in Google Places' database. The new data service integrations mean that drivers will have more access to more destinations and be able to find them more quickly.
Hyundai hasn't said when the new features will debut nor on what model. Kia buyers will find them introduced on the 2014 Kia Sorento expected to roll into dealerships shortly, with the Forte sedan following. You'll find a press release on the updates below.