Hyundai Motor announced several future-vehicle initiatives at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show featuring connected cars and electric vehicles. The first, a new Connected Car Service Platform, is aimed at increasing the functional utility of its vehicles. Second, the automaker promised an expanded commitment to electric vehicles that ultimately will impact both the Hyundai and Genesis brands.
Designed in-house although not present at the show, Hyundai’s new Connected Car Service Platform will allow owners “to blur the lines between mobility, living and working spaces” by using voice control to interface their vehicles with telecommunication and global appliance service providers. First up will Home-to-Car control capabilities due sometime next year, while Car-to-Home interactions are due in 2019.
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“We are working with various companies in Korea and around the world to ensure that all of our platforms are compatible,” said Seung-Ho Hwang, Executive Vice President and head of Auto Intelligence Division at Hyundai Motor Company. “Hyundai customers will be able to interact with the Internet of Things in ways that have never before been possible.” Beyond regularly updating system software and analyzing driving patterns to help efficiency on every level, the Connected Car architecture also is designed to permit proactive maintenance when possible.
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In addition to continuing efforts on the autonomous vehicle front, Hyundai also confirmed that it is currently developing a dedicated platform for electric vehicles. According to a report from Reuters quoting Lee Ki-sang, Hyundai-Kia’s head of green car operations, this all-new architecture goes well beyond what’s being used in the current Ioniq EV and should give upcoming subcompact/compact models a per-charge range in excess of 186 miles. The report further indicated the automaker’s luxury Genesis brand will be expanded in 2019 with a new plug-in hybrid model followed by a pure electric variant in 2021.
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