Hyundai Bets Big On Extended-Range Electric Vehicles

Hyundai plans to sell a new kind of plug-in vehicle in the US: the extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV. Unlike a typical plug-in hybrid, where a gas engine can power the wheels directly, an EREV runs entirely on electric motors, with the gas engine only spinning a generator to recharge the battery. Hyundai says its first model, a three-row Santa Fe with two motors for all-wheel drive, will offer a combined range over 600 miles and quicker acceleration than a standard hybrid. It will be built in Alabama alongside the gas and hybrid versions.

Hyundai's luxury brand, Genesis, will bring the same technology to a version of its GV70, with a claimed range of 640 miles. Beyond these two models, Hyundai says it will add 10 new hybrid models in the US by 2030, when hybrids are expected to make up half its sales, and plans to expand its North American factory capacity by 500,000 vehicles a year by then. The company is also reportedly working on pickup trucks and body-on-frame SUVs, following interest in the New York Auto Show Boulder concept.

Hyundai isn't alone in this move. Stellantis is developing its own EREV powertrain for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and a Ram pickup, Ford is said to be working on an EREV truck, and Volkswagen's Scout brand is considering the technology for two upcoming models. For homeowners weighing an EV purchase alongside home charging plans, this signals more long-range plug-in options may reach dealer lots in the next few years, alongside fully electric and gas models.