How does the electrification of SUVs reduce their consumption and their emissions ?

In recent months, sales in all segments of the automotive industry have experienced a decline due to various economic contexts. However, a stubborn group of SUVs continued to weather the crisis by focusing on electrification, gaining global attention.

SUVs have been criticized since their inception, with skeptics believing they were a passing fad. However, they have become the main driver supporting the automotive industry, growing from a global market share of 17% to 39% between 2010 and 2018. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly half of vehicles sold worldwide are SUVs, representing 46% of car sales worldwide. Despite difficult economic circumstances such as pandemic, war, or inflation, SUV registrations have steadily grown in the United States, India, and Europe.

Consumption and emissions in the age of SUVs

SUVs continue to be popular in the automotive industry, but some environmental issues have been raised in recent years. Agencies such as Transport & Environment have noted that the higher weight of these vehicles increases carbon dioxide emissions both due to higher fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. T&E highlighted the impact of these emissions, illustrating that SUVs generated around 700 million tonnes of CO2 globally, which is higher than the annual emissions of the UK and the Netherlands.

Comparison and criticism were tinged with a certain unpredictability and madness. The complexity of the transition to cleaner mobility should not be underestimated. Major industry players, such as Hyundai, have been working for several years to develop electrification plans using the five available electric technologies. Looking closely at the popularity of SUVs, one can see that this can be an opportunity to accelerate the shift to more environmentally friendly modes of transport, rather than an obstacle to be overcome.

With this in mind, Hyundai has deployed its electric strategy across its entire range, including the best-selling SUVs on the market. In fact, electrified models of the Hyundai TUCSON , the best-selling vehicle in Spain in 2022, even recorded more registrations than their combustion counterparts. This represents a crucial step in reversing the upward trend in emissions.

How much is consumption reduced with electrification? An analysis by type of technology

We will consider how various car models from the Korean manufacturer reduce their fuel consumption and emissions. We are going to build on the fact that these models offer different variants of combustion and electric engines within their SUV range. We want to know how much fuel and emissions each type of technology allows us to save.

48V mild hybrids

Mild hybrid models, also known as 48V mild hybrid models, are considered the lightest electric technology. They are equipped with a propulsion system assisted by a 48V battery and a hybrid generator with soft start, which allows them to reduce consumption by up to 7%. Although this may seem like a modest saving, their main advantage lies in their ease of implementation without additional costs for the industry.

In addition, they are ECO labeled. At Hyundai, seven models are fitted with this system, which has been improved with the introduction of Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) technology, allowing for better mild hybrid efficiency depending on driving conditions.

For example, the Hyundai BAYON , equipped with a 0.46 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 10 kW generator, reduces its consumption in the WLTP urban cycle by around 0.3 l/100 km. The Hyundai TUCSON , also equipped with this system, can reduce emissions and consumption by up to 7%, which would reduce consumption to approximately 6.3 l/100 km and emissions to 138 g/km, using the savings verified by Hyundai thanks to its light hybridization solution, compared to the version with the 1.6 T-DGi petrol engine and a manual gearbox.

Conventional hybrids (HEV)

The next step in electrification is to integrate a classic hybrid drivetrain that uses the original hybrid technology, which has reached a high level of maturity and efficiency. This new engine features a larger capacity self-recharging battery as well as an electric motor which supplies its energy directly to propel the vehicle, making them worthy of the ECO distinction. According to homologation figures, this technology can significantly reduce fuel consumption.

When it comes to HEV hybrids, we can take the Hyundai KONA variants as an example . If the 1.0 TGDi petrol version consumes 5.6 l/100 km, the hybrid version has an average consumption reduced to 4.9 l/100 km. As for the hybrid version of the Hyundai TUCSON , it is capable of reducing fuel consumption and has an average WLTP cycle of 5.6 l/100 km and 127 g/km.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEV)

Plug-in hybrid cars have taken two important steps to improve their efficiency when driving. Their main advantage is their ability to cover a considerable distance in electric mode, which is very beneficial for daily urban mobility.

In addition, once the electric range exceeds 40 kilometers, these models are labeled as "ZERO". This is the case with Hyundai's plug-in cars, which have an electric range of around 60 kilometres. Drivers can therefore take advantage of this potential if they have the possibility of charging their car.

However, the homologation figures are not an absolute benchmark for how PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) technology can be used. Indeed, these figures are usually obtained by draining the battery in electric mode, then activating the thermal part to calculate the consumption/emission until the car reaches 100 kilometers.

Two Hyundai models are available with this electric motor:

• The Hyundai TUCSON plug-in hybrid has managed to reduce its consumption and emissions to 1.4 l/100 km and 31 g/km, respectively, while offering a range of 62 km in 100% electric mode. On the other hand, the Hyundai SANTA FE plug-in hybrid maintains fuel consumption of 1.6 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 36.9 g/km, with a battery that allows energy to be supplied exclusively electric over a distance of 58 km.

The present is electric, but the future is something else

If the industry follows Hyundai's strategy, the extra emissions margin of SUVs will gradually decline, which will benefit drivers through lower fuel costs and other benefits of vehicle ownership.

According to the IAE, the impact of SUVs on emissions has increased by 20% compared to what would have been observed if these vehicles had never been introduced to the market. In the years to come, it will be important to see how hybrid models continue to grow in popularity, allowing time for 100% electric models to become more mature.

Hyundai is already developing models such as the IONIQ 5 , which have an approved range of up to 507 kilometres, with the aim of selling only 100% electric or hydrogen models in Europe by 2035 .

Electrification is now considered a mature obligation rather than a simple option, which partly explains the popularity of models like the Hyundai TUCSON, which offers unprecedented fuel consumption for the SUV segment. Hyundai is at the forefront of the hydrogen mobility revolution with models such as the NEXO , which is a leader in this technology.