The vast majority of European manufacturers have chosen not to develop new combustion engines, due to the high cost of exceeding the requirements of the Euro 7 standard. Meanwhile, Hyundai has decided to go against the grain, pointing out that it will continue to develop new engines for its customers for a good reason.
The vast majority of European brands announced last year that they would not develop new combustion engines. The solution to comply with the new, more demanding and restrictive emission standards does involve the research and development of new technologies for this purpose. We know that the German giants work in new combustion systems to debut before the middle of the decadeand not so much in specific measures to counteract polluting emissions.
What has been announced by the manufacturers is a compendium of technologies that have the purpose of making combustion cleaner. But hyundai is not for the task of following this same strategy, but bet on the opposite: conceive new thermal combustion engines. Albert Biermann announced it in an interview with the Australians of «CarExpert», where the German has been more than clear: will not give in to the Euro 7 standardquite a warning to competitors.
Electric cars, in Hyundai’s sights
The Koreans are the only ones in their category that have opted to bring technology 48 Volt MHEV to lower segments of its range of models, a cheap and efficient solution with which they achieve their purpose without having to give up diesel or invest in more advanced electrification technologies, since hybrids make the cheapest models in the range much more expensive. But, surely you are wondering why the Koreans insist on the development of new engines when the rest of the brands do not.
The answer, and key, has been given by Albert Biermann himself, pointing out that «We continue with the next levels of emissions in the development of internal combustion. We have no other options. I mean, we are not going to give up on combustion engines, we are a global player”, adding that “will we establish a completely new family of combustion engines? Yes, I mean, you have to follow the emission standards and that requires intense development sometimes. Euro 7, for example, is quite challenging. So that’s on the agenda.”
Some very interesting statements, but not enough to allocate a significant amount for a new generation of engines, both gasoline and diesel. The reality is very different, and Biermann has dared to point out the key cause, which they have not done other brands today: «There will be no infrastructure available for electric vehicles for quite some time in several regions». This is the real reason why Hyundai will continue to bet on traditional combustion, until governments really get involved in the installation of fast charging points.