Hyundai confrms electric ute, diesel Kia twin unlikely

By Jeffrey GIBBS

With their latest roadmap update Hyundai has announced their ambition to sell two million EVs yearly by 2030 and have confrmed the development of an electric ute

To rival popular competitors like Ford F150 Lightning and Rivian R1T alongside Tesla’s Cybertruck in this segment of electric pickups trucks market battle feld is what Hyundai aims for.

Snapshot

• Hyundai confrms second-gen IMA electric vehicle platform

• The new platform is set to underpin a total of 13 vehicles by the year of 2030 and one of them is an electric Ute

• We shouldn’t expect a diesel Kia Tasman twin to join the Electric Hyundai ute

At an investor conference in Seoul held overnight Hyundai Motor gave additional details for its nextgeneration electric vehicle platform.

Nearly all vehicle classes will be represented in the new Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) platform with a selection of 13 models that include small and large SUVs along with pickup trucks and fagship Genesis vehicles.

The next generation of Hyundai and Kia models such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV9 will feature a different architecture instead of the current Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

Before 2025, the

E-GMP platform is expected to support various future vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. This lineup includes popular models like the Hyundai Ioniq 7 large SUV and Kia EV5 small-to-midsize SUV.

With a projected 50 per cent increase in driving range, Hynudai Motor has revealed two electric vehicle platforms -eM and eS - which were announced last year. However, we are currently unsure if IMA is a progression of these plans or the overarching designation for the two architectures.

The UTE Hyundai and Kia’s upcoming pickups will be of a standard size

Just like Geely’s Radar RD6, the electric Hyundai ute will have a unibody platform shared with cars and SUVs-instead of having a body-on-frame design like the Ford F150 Lightning. With their hybrid platforms integrating unibody and body-on-frame features together. The Rivian R1T and Chevrolet Silverado EV stand out.

Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger are leading in sales charts for utility vehicles in Australia – an important market where diesel models dominate. The local arm of Hyundai is expected to closely observe regulatory developments including the Federal Government’s National Electric Vehicle Strategy.

Kia intends to release an all-electric pickup truck designed specifcally for North America sometime after 2025 and the company plans on utilizing the same IMA platform used in their vehicles and could potentially incorporate design elements from Hyundai in order to improve both battery effciency as well as overall performance. Cheaper, better, further...

By emphasizing up to 80 standardised components,the group’s second-gen EV platform aims at reducing production costs and making smaller electric cars more affordable.

By capitalizing on its knowledge and success in producing internalcombustion cars

Hyundai & Kia pouring billions into EVs

The automaker is planning to invest ₩35.8 trillion (AU$41 billion) in electrifcation over the next ten years with a goal of achieving annual Hyundai and Genesis electric vehicle sales of 2 million units by 2030 – exceeding their current fgure of 1.87 million units

By allocating ₩109 trillion (AU$125 billion), the company is positioning itself as a leading smart mobility solution provider through investments in autonomy technology and hydrogen fuel cells alongside other sectors like robotics and aircraft.

It is predicted by Kia’s sister brand that electric vehicles will outpace internal-combustion vehicles in 2030

To meet the surging demand for EVs in North America, Hyundai Motor plans on starting production at its frst dedicated EV factory by late 2024. With an anticipated annual output capability of 300,000 vehicles, this facility aims to cater effectively.

By 2025 a new manufacturing facility will be operational in South Korea to manufacture electric vehicles for the domestic and international markets.

Hyundai has confrmed that their vehicles including Kia and Genesis will offer overthe-air software updates and connected-car services by 2025.

By the year 2030 Genesis will exclusively produce electric vehicles