i-blue: Hyundai's groundbreaking hybrid and future green plans
By Justin Couture, MSN Autos
At this year’s LA Auto Show, Hyundai didn’t just unveil a single new car, but an entire plan towards improving the fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness of its vehicles. The strategy is called “i-blue” and it will play a big role in Hyundai’s ability to meet the pending 2015 US fuel economy regulations. These require an auto manufacturer's line up to require a 35 mpg (6.7 l/100 km) average across its entire fleet.
One of the first vehicles we’ll see under i-blue in North America is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Set to debut next year as a 2011 model year vehicle, it mates an efficient 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine to a parallel hybrid drivetrain, which Hyundai calls “blue drive”. Unlike Toyota’s Camry Hybrid or Nissan’s Altima Hybrid, the Sonata utilizes a six-speed automatic transmission.
One point worth noting is that the Sonata Hybrid utilizes next-generation lithium-polymer batteries developed by LG Chem; it’s a big step forward from the nickel metal hydride batteries used in hybrids today as these batteries are 30-percent lighter and take up 50-percent less volume. Hyundai says that the new batteries should be good for at least 10 years or 240,000 km. Hyundai hopes to be using the blue drive hybrid system in a number of vehicles between now and 2015.
While a hybrid is a move in the right direction, not it's not the only effort Hyundai is making to improve fuel economy. Following the Sonata, Hyundai will shift into downsizing its engines and equipping them with turbochargers (similar to Ford’s EcoBoost), as well as extra-efficient versions of its Accent and Elantra small cars, similar to what Chevrolet has done with its Cobalt XFE or Ford with its F-150 SFE.
And for a glimpse further down the road, Hyundai announced that it will be committing its HED-5 i-Mode concept crossover to production. No word on exactly when it’ll be available, but Hyundai says it will seat six, feature 286 horsepower four-cylinder engine and will be capable of 6.7 l/100 km.
Comments