The Hyundai Group takes another step forward in its electrification project. The Korean group, in fact, has announced that it has stopped the development of new internal combustion engines, closing its division that had been dealing with these activities for about 40 years within its research and development center located in Namyang, South Korea where about 12,000 people work. Obviously, the reason is easily imaginable.
The Korean Group intends focus more and more on the electric. The resources, therefore, are all going in this direction and there is less and less room for internal combustion engines. This decision led the Koreans to review activities involving the development of engines at the Namyang site. According to reports from The Korean Economic Daily, the division that dealt with endothermic units will now work on electric ones.
For example, the former Powertrain team has been transformed into the Electrification Development Team. In addition, a new group has also been created that will work on batteries. In short, the Korean Group is reorganizing itself to accelerate the transition to electrification which is now inevitable as Park Chung Kook, the head of the research and development department, pointed out in an e-mail sent to employees.
Now it is inevitable to move to electrification. Our work on engines in the past has achieved great results, but we need to change the system so as to create innovation for the future.
The fact that the Hyundai Group has put an end to the development of the new internal combustion engines does not mean that they will disappear from the cars in a short time. In fact, they will continue to be present, even in the electrified version, for some time to come. Finally, we remind you that from 2035 the Kia and Hyundai will only market electric (and Fuel Cell) in Europe. Endothermic engines, however, will continue to be offered even after this date in some markets.
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