Hyundai & Audi Tease New Electric Car Offerings
Credit to Author: Steve Hanley| Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2020 05:30:53 +0000
Published on February 16th, 2020 | by Steve Hanley
February 16th, 2020 by Steve Hanley
Hyundai has teased a photo of an upcoming electric car it calls Prophecy. If you look at the photo and think “Porsche 911,” you will be excused as there is a strong resemblance between the concept and that car. The question on everyone’s lips is, “Is this the first car to result from the new partnership between Hyundai and Canoo?” We may know more when the actual cars appears at the Geneva auto show March 3.
Hyundai Prophesy concept. Image courtesy of Hyundai.
The Prophesy may offer a hint as to where Hyundai sees the styling for its electric cars going in the years ahead. Concept cars seldom make it into production. Instead, they are used to gather feedback from showgoers that will be used to fine tune future production models. Based on the photo and the very short clip below, Hyundai EVs should be very appealing automobiles.
According to CNET, Hyundai sees the Prophesy as a concept that will “establish itself as a design icon” for the brand’s electric vehicle lineup. It claims the curves that flow into the rear help define the design, but also enhance aerodynamics. An integrated rear spoiler helps smooth air flow while also creating a sportier look. CleanTechnica will bring you more news about this and other concept cars from the floor of the auto show in Geneva in a few weeks.
Audi has confirmed to Auto Express that it is planning a full range of electric cars, including a small urban model based on Volkswagen’s MEB Entry platform. That chassis is intended to be the basis of cars about 4 meters (13 feet) long such as the Volkswagen Polo and the Audi A1. Neither of those cars is marketed in the US and it is unlikely the small Audi EV would be either. Prices for the new Audi are expected to start at around €20,000 for a car that has a range of between 130 and 150 miles (209 to 241 km), which would put it into the same range category as the Honda e and MINI SE.
Audi’s board member for product marketing, Fermín Soneira Santos, tells Auto Express his company intends to use MEB Entry as another element of an extremely broad EV portfolio — everything from supermini-sized models up to the e-tron GT super saloon based on the running gear of the Porsche Taycan.
“It is on our horizon, yes. It’s not yet designed, but yes, we have a chance to have cars on MEB, maybe tomorrow on MEB Entry, then also the e-tron GT. We have so many different platforms to choose from and where we can have input into. If you would talk about segments, Audi is going to be the one with the widest portfolio over the next years, compared with our competitors. We can go smaller and higher with less investment than our competitors. It’s an advantage.”
Insiders suggest to Auto Express the less expensive nature of the MEB Entry platform may mean the new Audi shares its basic body architecture with other vehicles in the Volkswagen family, much as the Skoda Citigo, VW up!, and SEAT Mii do today. Audi would rely on premium cabin materials and more advanced in-car technology to distinguish it from those similar cars.
The takeaway is that a small Audi EV has not been designed yet, so it is impossible to say what it may look like or what its specifications might be. The Audi AI:ME concept from last year could offer some possible clues, however, in which cars the baby Audi EV could be a very appealing car indeed.
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Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his homes in Florida and Connecticut or anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. You can follow him on Twitter but not on any social media platforms run by evil overlords like Facebook.