Here's how electrification is changing the future of mobility

Absolute electrification. It's a premise the industry is beginning to embrace in its quest for sustainability, but it's a major challenge and not so simple. What are the strategies followed by the most advanced manufacturers?

The automotive sector, linked to the energy sector,   is taking action  . The reluctance to find another type of mobility disappeared with the start of the decade. The change is underway and the work is piling up for manufacturers who did not want to see that  the electric car was the key that opened this door  .

The old standard of efficiency is perfected

And it is that the urgency of electrification has evolved. If in previous years we looked at the viability of the electric car and how to integrate it into manufacturing platforms; the current challenge is that the electric car can conquer the entire market.

This is the first step to eliminate  all emissions in the production process  . For this, developments must be put in place to take into account the benefits of electrification from the very design of vehicles in the minds of engineers, to their disposal or, to put it better, to recycling. of their components.

Now we could talk about “  from the wind turbine to the wheel  ”. However, even the traditional method of measuring emissions remains somewhat stagnant. In a way, it does not bring together most of the new trends from the most technologically advanced manufacturers. In this sense, Hyundai is one of the leading companies. His commitment to electricity has led him to exclude no electric technology. It is the  only manufacturer to have five different electrical technologies  .

Why is electrification no longer an option, but an obligation?

The electrification of vehicle ranges with the technologies within our reach is the fundamental instrument to  balance the carbon dioxide emissions  caused by human action to zero.

It's about cleaning up the so-called CO2 footprint. Emissions of this greenhouse gas are one of the main causes of climate change. Over the past two centuries, our species takes dubious credit for increasing  the supply of this gas  by more than a quarter . Right now we graze  nearly three trillion tons  . The scientific community does not flinch when it points out that this path leads to climate catastrophe.

Mobility is responsible for almost a third of excess CO2 emissions, according to the  latest data compiled by the European Union . 72% of emissions come  from land transport  , a percentage that in the case of Spain is close to 80%. The European Union itself plans to reverse the trend to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, the challenge is immense and complex.

Companies like Hyundai have been anticipating this scenario for years and are betting on an irremediable technological evolution. Its strategy of the past years with the  electric car  and the  hydrogen fuel cell  makes more sense than ever.

Hyundai has been betting on these technologies for decades. To give an example of more than two decades, in 2000 the Hyundai  SANTE FE FCEV  was the first hydrogen car in the world to reach the milestone of 350 bar of pressure, which fundamentally increased the range.

The electric car: objective and instrument

How can a car manufacturer produce  only electric cars  ? What brought together detractors not so long ago crying out that it was impossible is now a step closer and closer on the horizon. Like Hyundai, they have set themselves three key deadlines:

• 2030  , when  30% of its sales  will come from zero-emission vehicles. On this date, the manufacturer will have  17 100% electric models  on the market.
• By  2035  ,  Hyundai will only sell zero-emission vehicles in Europe  : 100% electric or hydrogen fuel cell cars.
• In  2040  , the ambition is for  80% of its worldwide registrations  to correspond to this type of vehicle.

The zero-emission mobility strategy is the starting point for eliminating pollution in transport. To this end, Hyundai has been a pioneer in integrating different electric solutions into its vehicles.

More than five years ago, as the industry struggled to determine which type of electric drivetrain should drive change, Hyundai struck the balance of adding all options to its roadmaps. It was the first manufacturer to offer, thanks to the commitment of the  Hyundai IONIQ  , the option of a  hybrid , plug-in hybrid  or 100% electric engine  .

It didn't take long for the trend to spread to the  rest of the range , and today it is perfected with  the IONIQ 5 . The SUV tackles the classic obstacles of the electric car directly, bringing the maximum autonomy  to 500km with the new 77kWh battery  according to its WLTP certification.

Its performance, far superior to what we are used to seeing in a pure electric car, defends the change of era towards  zero emissions  . As recognition, IONIQ 5  received the 2022 Car of the Year award .

The electric car: the key to an emission-free supply chain

The electric car is leading the initial push towards a carbon-free and sustainable future. Electrification needs other resources and parallel actions to unfold its full potential. This involves effort in the various  areas of the production process  . Crucial changes include:

• Increase the circularity of resources by opting for the  reuse and recycling of materials and parts  .
• Redesign processes to reduce waste.
• Increase the efficiency of energy use in facilities and production plants.
• Transition to a model of energy consumption from  100% renewable sources  .

As we can see, it is not only the type of energy that a car consumes, but everything that is deployed in relation to its existence. Hyundai works on all these levels. By 2040, they predict that  over 90% of all of their operations  worldwide will use renewable electrical energy. The strategy is part of the  RE100 initiative  , a project that brings together the most advanced companies in the transition to a renewable model.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing's Czech plant   was the first to inaugurate this corporate policy. As of this 2022, Hyundai's Czech plant is  powered solely by renewable energy  . To do this, they began four years ago to undertake a reduction in consumption at the rate of 10% per year. At the same time, the origin of the energy that supplies the plant is evolving towards a combination of certified sources: biogas, solar, wind or even tidal power.

In the field of reusing parts, Hyundai is ahead of the curve on a more than relevant issue: the  recovery of lithium-ion batteries from electric cars  . Currently, she contributes to several projects that give batteries a second life.

The hydrogen challenge

Hyundai's commitment to the hydrogen fuel cell now spans two decades. Few manufacturers have reached the degree of   technological maturity of their system  , tested in various prototypes and models marketed on a small scale.

In fact, the   Hyundai ix35 FCEV was the world's first hydrogen  car to roll out of a car show and hit the streets. The effort is concentrated during these years in several areas. It seems essential to   reduce costs;  integrating models into current platforms; and increase the autonomy of the hydrogen car. So, the next chapter is written by the  Hyundai NEXO .

Full Electric, Full Care: a real commitment to electrification

The actions on Hyundai's roadmap do not meet random criteria. They are structured with the goal of electrification in the spotlight. The essence that powers this long-term revolution is determined by  responsibility  and  commitment  to a form of mobility that will, by mid-century, be fully electric. The manufacturer, aware that this is not an overnight transition,  has gone beyond  the launch of an all-electric range.

These questions, among many others, are natural for those new to electric mobility. Hyundai solves them with its plan, which includes the  solution to charging needs (with free installation of the charger at home) , roadside assistance,  the integration of the management of these electric vehicle services via the  Bluelink application,  or even the  free loan  of a vehicle if at any time we need more autonomy.

As you can see, both manufacturers and drivers are  already part of a necessary change . Turning our backs on the electric car  at this point  will only serve to delay a fundamental transition full of benefits, both in terms of personal mobility and global sustainability.