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Driverless cars from Kia hit the road in Nevada

Drivers in Nevada might soon spot a Kia Soul EV that pilots itself because the South Korean brand is the latest automaker to get authorization from the state to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. Kia's development of driverless tech is part of the company's $2 billion investment with Hyundai through 2018 to help bring some of these systems to production models. Rather than handing complete control to the computers immediately, Kia first plans to introduce partially driverless features on models by 2020. Its engineers intend to test technology like Traffic Jam Assist, Highway Autonomous Driving, Urban Autonomous Driving, an Emergency Stop System, and Autonomous Valet Parking on Nevada's roads. Kia doesn't foresee a fully piloted model on sale until 2030 and believes innovations in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications are necessary to make that possible. Nevada has been a vital site for autonomous technology development since the state passed a law to allow testing on public roads. Google was among the earliest to get a permit, and Audi also quickly jumped on board. Freightliner was first to expand the authorization to commercial vehicles with its license for the Inspiration semi truck earlier this year. We're sure more will follow in short order. Related Video: Kia Motors granted Nevada autonomous driving license - US state of Nevada grants Korean manufacturer permission to test autonomous driving technologies on public roads - Soul EV's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems tested in Beatty, Nevada - US$2 billion investment by 2018 to develop autonomous vehicle technology - Kia to introduce partially-autonomous driving technologies by 2020, with arrival of fully-autonomous vehicles targeted for 2030 (SEOUL) December 14, 2015 – Kia Motors has been granted a licence by the US state of Nevada to carry out testing of its autonomous driving technologies on public roads for the first time. Kia – together with sister company Hyundai – hopes to experiment with partially- and fully- autonomous driving technologies in real-world conditions, an important part of its roadmap for autonomous driving. Kia plans to introduce a range of partially-autonomous driving technologies to its model line- up including eco-friendly vehicles by 2020, and is aiming to bring its first fully-autonomous car to market by 2030.

Why BMWs are cheaper than Hyundais in Korea

Bloomberg reports shifting tariff regulations have upended the traditional automotive pecking order in Korea. Thanks to cheaper import taxes, foreign brands have seen market share jump from 28 percent to 41 percent over the last two years. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have all capitalized on the shift, with domestics like Hyundai and Kia suffering at the hands of their German rivals.
Taxes on European imports have fallen from 8 percent in 2011 to just 3.2 percent today. Over the next few years, tariffs will all but be eliminated for most imports, and taxes on US-made vehicles are expected to fall to just 4 percent in 2014. By 2016, that number will be zero. Needless to say, Hyundai and Kia are concerned about the shift.
Hyundai has seen profit fall by 15 percent last quarter, and the company says it is on pace to see the slowest sales growth since 2007. The company's shares have fallen by 12 percent. In order to stem the losses, Hyundai has discounted its midsize sedans and started working on diesel engine options.

Hyundai Motor Group reveals the E-GMP modular electric platform

Just as Volkswagen has the MEB platform for its ID. line of electric cars, Hyundai Motor Group is launching a modular architecture of its own. It's called E-GMP for "electric-global modular platform," and the motor and battery powertrain is called PE for "power electric." These components will underpin models from Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and the new Ioniq brand. The first to launch with it will be the Ioniq 5. One of the interesting aspects of this platform is that it will be designed with rear-wheel drive in mind. Like VW's and Tesla's EVs, the basic layout will feature a rear-mounted motor powering those back wheels, and the battery pack fits in the floor between the wheels. All-wheel drive will be available on some of these models with the addition of a second, front-mounted motor. That front motor will be able to mechanically disconnect from the front drive axles when not needed, allowing for less mechanical drag and more efficient driving. Hyundai is promising impressive performance from the E-GMP and its batteries and motors. The company claims that a car built on the platform could be capable of 0-62 mph sprints of 3.5 seconds with a top speed of about 162 mph. This will vary depending on motors, and Hyundai Motor Group revealed that there are three outputs of motor in development. Maximum range is expected to be 311 miles on the WLTP cycle. Hyundai didn't give exact power outputs or battery capacity in kWh, though. The battery pack is made up of standardized modules that can be added or subtracted depending on the needs of the vehicle, and the individual cells are pouch-type, similar to what GM is using in its Ultium batteries. The E-GMP cars will also support fast charging up to 800V and 350kW, so an 80% charge from empty could happen in just 18 minutes. Two-way charging will also be supported, so your electric Hyundai or Kia could provide up to 3.5kW of power to various appliances or even to another EV. Hyundai says you could run a "midsize" air conditioner and a 55-inch TV for up to 24 hours with an E-GMP car. Hyundai 45 View 14 Photos We won't have to wait long to see the first car based on this platform. The Ioniq 5, which will take design inspiration from the Hyundai 45 concept, will launch next year. The Ioniq 6, based on the Hyundai Prophecy concept, will come in 2022 and the Ioniq 7 in 2024. The first Kia model will be a crossover revealed next year, and it will have a performance variant.