An electrified SUV for every driver

The automobile market follows two trends today. The first is that of the SUVs, the fashion segment for several years now; the second, the electrificationwhich has multiplied its variants to achieve cleaner and more sustainable mobility.

In this context, in the Spanish market you can only find a brand that offers in its range each of the existing electrified technologiesalso available in all its SUVs: Hyundai.

48V technology

In this range of automotive electrification options, the microhybridization (mild-hybrid) has been the latest technology to appear and can be considered as an intermediate point between a traditional thermal car and another hybrid.

Combine a gasoline or diesel block with a higher power electrical system than usual (normally 48V versus 12V) and a small electric motor, which is responsible for helping to start and powering the complementary electrical systems of the vehicle, thus offloading part of its work to the combustion engine.

This type of format allows reduce consumption and emissions by up to 15%, in addition to providing a little more thrust in accelerations. The key advantage is that its price premium compared to a thermal model is not much and that it gives the vehicle the ECO label of the General direction of traffic (DGT), with the advantages that it entails.

For this reason it is an interesting option for any type of driver and in the offer of hyundai proposals such as the BAYON or the best-selling TUCSON appear.

Self-charging electric hybrids, the originals

The electric hybrid cars (HEV) were the forerunners in the electrification of the automotive industry as it is now known. Its premise is simple: include a combustion engine and an electric motor in the propulsion system, so that the second supports the first, improving the performance of the whole and achieving a greater efficiency.

The electric motor of the HEVs is powerful enough to move the car by itself in certain situations: parking manoeuvres, exiting traffic lights, etc… This makes fuel savings and the reduction of CO2 emissions greater and grants also ECO label of the DGT.

It is not necessary to plug them in to recharge the battery, since the process is carried out while driving the car, due to the recovery of kinetic energy. within range hyundai suv’s this technology is available for the KONA, TUCSON and SANTA FE.

Between two worlds: plug-in hybrids

The period of transition that mobility is experiencing is perfectly represented in the plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)vehicles that can act as thermal, hybrid or fully electric models.

Its propulsion system is made up of a combustion engine, one or several electric motors, which have more power than conventional hybrids, and a larger capacity battery. This configuration allows them to circulate as emission-free for quite a few kilometers, as a general rule over 40which is the minimum to achieve the DGT’s ZERO label (in the case of Hyundai, more than 60 kilometers in electric mode).

Thanks to this, they homologate really low consumption (even less than 2 liters per 100 kilometers) and very low polluting emissions. In addition, thanks to their electric range on a day-to-day basis, they can be driven exclusively as zero emissions, which represents considerable fuel savings and a very convincing option to preserve the planet.

They are very versatile vehicles and are suitable for any type of driver, but due to their label they are especially recommended for those who live in cities with Low Emission Zones (ZBE). Hyundai’s two largest SUVs, TUCSON and SANTA FE, have the corresponding version of these characteristics in their range.

Hydrogen, the emerging alternative

Hydrogen cars, also known as fuel cell electric cars (FCEV), are today still an anecdote in the market. There are hardly any alternatives of this type, but the Hyundai NEXO is one of them.

Broadly speaking, they use the reaction generated between hydrogen and oxygen inside the battery to generate electricity. The only waste they produce is water, so they are completely clean, and they also have advantages such as its refueling is quite fastcloser to what it would be like to fill a gas tank than to the process of recharging a conventional electric vehicle.

Pure electric, the future is today

Just a decade ago, electric cars (BEVs) seemed like something very far away and within the reach of a few. Today they are a reality. They rely exclusively on electric motors powered by increasingly more capable batteries, so their autonomy is increasing and they can now act as the only car in the home.

The list of advantages they provide is long, since they are clean models and respectful with the environment, they use simpler mechanics, so they are more reliable and have a lower maintenance cost; and his cost of use is lower than that of combustion cars, since electricity is cheaper than gasoline and diesel.

It is true that there are certain factors that are still developing, such as the recharging infrastructure, but precisely for this reason it is essential to know how to choose well which model to buy and which brand. Hyundai offers the ‘Full Electric, Full Care’ plan to its electric and plug-in hybrid customers, so that they forget about any type of concern, in addition to the package ‘Charge My Hyundai‘.

Within the manufacturer’s range, the Hyundai KONA also has an electric version and, moving to the saloon format, IONIQ 5 is the first model of the new zero-emission family.

Together with Endesa, the Korean brand installs a domestic charging point free of charge, with technical service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Another added value is that Hyundai offers a free loaner vehicle (in the case of the 100% electric and PHEV) for when you want to make a trip longer than usual without having to depend on the conditions of the electric car in this type of trip.

As if all this were not enough, Hyundai is on its way to achieve the carbon neutrality by 2045 and the next point on the roadmap to achieve this is 2035: since then all its new vehicles for the main European markets will be battery electric or fuel cell.