Petrol fix? Hyundai developing petrol range extender for a 900km driving range... and aiming to beat PHEVs at their own game - report

Korea’s powerhouse carmaker, the Hyundai Group, is set to dip its toes into the range extender hybrid water, with a 900km driving limit on the cards.

According to new reports, earlier rumours and hints from executives that an EV-style model with a petrol range extender could come to fruition.

The Korean Car Blog has published details of an ‘Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV)’, which it says will first be seen in the Genesis GV70 - an interesting move given Genesis’ lack of hybrids.

Traditional hybrids and plug-in hybrids use an engine and electric power to turn the wheels, Hyundai’s EREV system will work much like Nissan’s e-Power, where only electric motors do the work and draw power from a battery (in this case around 40kWh) that’s topped up by a petrol engine.

KCB reports the pure electric driving range on a single charge will be close to 200km, and the total range with the motor helping charge batteries as much as 900km.

A Hyundai spokesperson told the outlet: “It is difficult to confirm specific details about the development and the particular models involved.”

Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker told InsideEVs earlier this year that range extenders have been under scrutiny for the brand for some time, saying that while the company aims to move to full BEVs, hybrids make sense as a “transition” for people and that Hyundai can fill that demand if it rises.

"I can't release any details… We're studying this as we speak,” he said.

"I want to make that very clear, we're all in when it comes to EVs. Hybrids, you know, they're fine. It's a good transition for a lot of people. But if you really want to become carbon neutral, it's got to be done through EVs."