Genesis goes green as Hyundai Motor accelerates EV push

South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled its vision for a sustainable future, in which all its new vehicles under the premium Genesis brand will be purely electric starting from 2025.

With the livestream release of its vision statement film, "Futuring Genesis," Hyundai said Genesis is taking a dual electrification strategy involving fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery electric cars (BEVs) going forward.

From 2030, it said, all Genesis cars sold in the market will be either battery-electric or fuel cell electric, putting an end to combustion-engine cars.

This marks the first time that a Hyundai Motor Group affiliate has announced the transition of its entire lineup to all-electric models, as it strives to solidify the Genesis brand’s standing in the luxury vehicle segment.

“Genesis has been on an intensive, bold and successful journey, establishing itself as a truly global luxury brand,” said Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun.

“Once again, Genesis is at the starting point of another audacious journey, a journey towards a sustainable future.”

Along with its dual electrification strategy, Hyundai announced a goal to make Genesis an emission-free vehicle by 2030 and achieve full carbon neutrality by 2035.

Genesis will build a lineup of eight hydrogen and battery models by 2030 with a sales target of 400,000 units a year globally, according to Hyundai.

The automaker said it will also make efforts to further advance electric technologies such as new fuel cell systems with higher power output and electric and battery systems that help improve efficiency.

CONCEPTS OF FUTURE GENESIS

On Thursday, Hyundai presented various concepts for the future vehicles of the Genesis brand.

A new Genesis will have stage doors, which open the front and rear doors in the opposite direction without a B-pillar. It will also be equipped with rotating swivel seats and mood lighting that creates a sense of comfort surrounding the driver, it said.

“Our new architecture will integrate audacious technologies with breathtaking designs while providing sincere detail-oriented experiences. Warm and exquisite care will be our differentiator,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer of Genesis.

At the online vision unveiling event, Hyundai took the opportunity to showcase the GV60, the luxury Genesis brand’s first EV that sits on the E-GMP, the automaker’s dedicated EV platform.

Images of the GV60 crossover utility vehicle (CUV) were revealed in August and the vehicle is set to be released in the second half of this year, leading the brand’s journey to electrification.

FASTER TRANSITION THAN RIVALS

The US and European governments are pressing harder with tough regulations to expand EV adoptions for environmental reasons as global automakers are strengthening their EV lineups.

Analysts say Hyundai’s strategy to turn Genesis into an all-electric brand marks a faster transition than its global competitors.

The “Big Three” US automakers – General Motors Co. (GM), Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler parent Stellantis N.V. – pledged last month that they will join the government’s plan for half of all new vehicles sold in the US to be emission-free by 2030.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz has said its entire lineup will be electric by 2030 but the plan depends on market conditions. In line with its US rivals, BMW said EVs will account for half of its vehicles by 2030.

Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. said the ratio of its electric cars will be somewhere between 70% and 100% of all cars sold by 2030, but half of them will be plug-in hybrids.

“Hyundai’s pledge to turn all its Genesis cars into fuel cell or battery EV models over the next few years is astonishingly fast,” said Kwon Yong-ju, an automotive design professor at Kookmin University.

“That reflects Hyundai’s goal to become the leader in the premium EV market.”

Write to Il-Gue Kim and Hyung-Kyu Kim at Black0419@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.