Where many manufacturers spoon or plan to use an all-electric drivetrain in its smallest model, the Hyundai i10 does not yet have to rely on a plug. The compact Korean is at the bottom of the model list to be electrified.
That’s what Product and Pricing Director Hyundai Motor Europe Raf van Nuffel tells Techzle. “When it comes to electrification, Hyundai applies the cascade principle: we let our innovations filter through from top to bottom.” This means that according to this principle, the i10 is the last model in the family to be electrified. “We do this because our resources are not infinite and we are currently focusing on slightly larger models that can also be electrified competitive.”
It is different for the long term. Then Van Nuffel also sees the opportunity for the smallest cars to get a hybrid or electric powertrain. “However, those plans are not yet concrete enough to reveal them already.”
In recent years, special things have happened with the difficult to make A-segment. Where some manufacturers even leave the small segment, such as Opel, many other brands choose to make the cars fully electric. Take Renault with the Twingo Z.E. or the Volkswagen Group with the Citigo, Mii and Up. Hyundai is also aware of the difficulty of a car in this segment. “On the one hand, they have to reduce the average CO2 emissions of our fleet as much as possible, on the other, this requires large investments, which you do not easily earn back on small cars.” But according to the CEO, Hyundai has discussed this extensively during the development of the new i10.
The entire interview with Raf van Nuffel was previously in Techzle. That edition is here after ordering.