Hyundai readies Volt-style hybrid
Blue Whale Will in-bound
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'Leccy Tech Due to be unveiled at next month's Seoul Motor Show, the Hyundai Blue-Will is the Korean take on the plug-in parallel hybrid.
Hyundai's Blue-Will... must resist the temptation to add a 'y'
Odd name – what's the likelihood someone will scrawl a 'y' at the end of it? – and challenging styling aside, the basic underpinnings suggest Hyundai is working on a direct competitor to General Motor's Volt - aka the Ampera.
Motive power is supplied by a 152bhp 1.6l direct injection petrol engine and a 100kW (134bhp) electric motor both of which are connected to the drive wheels via a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) gearbox.
GM Volt-like spec
Unlike the Chevy Volt, which is always driven by its electric motor, the Blue-Will can be propelled by either the petrol engine, the electric motor or both.
Hyundai reckons a full charge of the car's lithium-ion polymer battery pack will be good for 64km (40 miles) of pure 'leccy motoring. That's exactly the same distance General Motors says a Volt will manage on a full charge. How's that for a coincidence?
As is common is today's eco-conscious concept cars, the panoramic glass roof has solar cells built in, and widespread use has been made of recycled materials. The headlamp bezels are in fact made from discarded drinks bottles while the interior is made from organically derived polylactide (PLA) materials.
Propelled by petrol, electricity or both
For more details, we'll just have to be patient and wait until the Seoul Motor Show opens its doors on 2 April. ®
COMMENTS
North Korea? Prius?
Vendicar Decarian posts, "Japan, North Korea, China and now India are the new automotive manufacturing superpowers in the world."
I've never heard of North Korea as one of the "automotive manufacturing superpowers" - I thought they were starving to death there?
Mark Hartman posts, "Sure it's not ideal, but it's the best available TODAY. I've averaged 53 mpg over 40k miles in the last 3 years with ours."
The cost of the Prius does not necessarily justify the savings in gasoline consumed over 3-5 years. A economically conscious decision would not place this at the top of a buyer's list.
It was not that long ago when one could buy a 4 door Dodge Colt sedan and get 40MPG with a peppy engine that leveraged 3 valves per cylinder.
Then again, cars could be much simpler and less expensive to produce back then.
@Mark Hartman
53mpg isn't particularly good you know. You can get better than that from plenty of motors these days. And those cars that can better 53mpg (mostly diesels, natch) cost a whole lot less to buy than your Pious. So you're paying more for your fuel bills AND more to buy the car in the first place than the owner of a pretty average oil burner.
Now who'd the dumbass?
Volt or Prius?
Seems more akin to a Prius than the totally electric Volt, making comparison to the latter a poor journalistic choice.
Speaking of Prius, why all the bashing (by non-Prius Hummer owners, I assume). Sure it's not ideal, but it's the best available TODAY. I've averaged 53 mpg over 40k miles in the last 3 years with ours. Get your heads out of your asses, Prius-bashing-dumbasses.
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