| Hyundai Motor Company today unveiled its first Plug-in HEV concept car at the Seoul Motor Show in South Korea. Named ‘Blue-Will’ by its creators at the Advanced Design Studio, the futuristic car targets 30 to 40 something single urbanites and young families with its highly unique character lines and detailed forms.
Promising an electric-only driving distance of up to 64km on a single charge and a fuel economy rating of up to 2.2 litres/100 km, Blue-Will is a test bed of new ideas that range from the unique profile to drive-by-wire steering and touch screen controls.
Blue-Will, codenamed HND-4, is the fourth in a series of highly innovative concept vehicles to come out of the Namyang Design Centre.
"Eco-sleeker" was the core concept driving the design process. Its sweeping character lines and detailed form elevate this next generation hybrid to an entirely new level.
Blue-Will’s sleek surface treatment extends to the underbody where a full-length cover has been applied to minimize aerodynamic drag whilst maximising fuel economy.
The LED panel on the front expresses a highly distinctive, futuristic image. The rear bike rack, neatly integrated into the trunk, adds an extra measure of convenience. To minimise weight, advanced materials such as carbon-fibre reinforced plastics and nano composites have been applied to the side sills, mouldings and fenders.
Recycled PET material was used for the headlamp bezel, while use has also been made of PLA and PA11 bio-plastics on interior and exterior parts.
The Blue-Will concept is powered by an all-aluminium 113 kW Petrol Direct Injected 1.6L which is coupled to a Continuously Variable Transmission and a 100 kw electric motor which is at the heart of Hyundai’s proprietary parallel hybrid drive architecture.
Wheels are turned by power coming directly from the petrol engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand.
This parallel hybrid drive architecture serves as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrids, starting with the next-generation Sonata in the U.S.
For maximum luggage space, the fuel tank is under the rear seat where it is neatly bundled alongside the Lithium Ion Polymer battery which can be recharged using household electric current.
Hyundai will be the first automaker in the world to apply Lithium Ion Polymer in a mass production vehicle this July when the Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle goes on sale in Korea.
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