Hyundai has built quite the electric vehicle business over the last few years, but its upcoming release takes its electrification efforts in a different direction. The automaker is expected to announce a new extended-range EV, its first, which will go on sale in 2027.
Extended-range EVs (EREVs) function as electric vehicles but use a gas engine as a generator to charge the batteries, extending the range. There haven’t been many such vehicles available in the United States, but that’s changing with new models from Ram and others in the coming months.
Hyundai plans for an impressive range number with the new system, saying, “Launching in 2027, Extended Range EVs (EREVs) will utilize high-performance batteries and motors to deliver EV-like driving experiences with more than 600 miles (960km) of range through optimized battery-engine integration.”
In addition to boosting range, EREVs utilize smaller batteries, which could make them slightly more affordable than full battery-electric models. Hyundai’s statement reads, “Unlike conventional EREVs, Hyundai’s approach utilizes in-house high-performance batteries, achieving full EV power performance with less than half the battery capacity, improving accessibility while maintaining exceptional range and performance, and eliminating range anxiety.”
Hyundai also noted that its EREV tech would extend to Genesis products in the future. It plans to expand availability of the EREV powertrain to more than 18 models by the end of the decade, with the first Genesis models being introduced next year.
[Images: Hyundai]
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