Hyundai has reportedly decided to stop all work on thermal engines in order to focus entirely on electric powertrains.
Today, many “traditional”automakers are in the process of switching to all-electric. At the same time, some brands continue to develop and produce internal combustion vehicles. If this recent Korea Economic Daily report is correct, Hyundai would be looking to make a drastic change, to say the least, as the manufacturer no longer focuses exclusively on electric vehicles.
Hyundai decided to stop all work on heat engines
The report claims that the Korean manufacturer has stopped all work on internal combustion engines, the same engines used in thermal imaging vehicles, petrol or diesel. This information was also confirmed in an email from Hyundai’s new R&D director Park Jong Kook, who explained to employees that the company was going to stop all new engine development.
Also according to the same source, about 12,000 people worked on the design of new engines. These employees will now be assigned to the electric vehicle department, they will work on the design of the transmission.
focus entirely on electric transmissions
All this is extremely important because it means that in the next few years, Hyundai vehicles will use what the brand has already developed. There will be nothing new in this line of cars, at least in terms of engines. This can be quite difficult, especially if you know that not all manufacturers are in a hurry to switch to electricity. It can be difficult to convince the public to buy Hyundai’s new gasoline vehicle, which uses the same engine technology as previous models.
And at the same time, this drastic decision could give the brand a strong advantage in the long run, as Hyundai would commit more resources and therefore potentially make more progress in developing its powertrain. This could make a difference compared to competitors in a few years. To be continued!