Hyundai Motor Group has suspended the development of its diesel engines. The automaker is aiming to shift its focus to more eco-friendly alternatives. According to sources, the South Korean automobile group has stopped the development of new diesel engines from the second half of 2020. This further confirms that no new oil burners will be launched in the future.
Talking about the existing diesel engines, they will continue to be used. However, we can expect the company to introduce partially upgraded versions of the existing diesel power plants. As for the petrol units, no changes have been made as of now. But if electric vehicles gain predominance across the globe then the automaker might as well axe the petrol engines. For now, petrol motors will be used with some form of electrification.
Other global automakers like Volvo and Volkswagen have also revealed their plans to ditch diesel motors. This move is basically being done to follow the stringent emission regulations and end the era of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles that cause a rise in pollution levels. If we talk specifically about the Indian market, Hyundai diesel engine variants have enjoyed their fair share of sales by offering good fuel efficiency along with a decent performance. Hyundai Motor Group unveiled their Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) last month. We can expect the automaker to launch its first EV, Ioniq 5 in the first quarter of this year. It will be based on the company’s EV-dedicated E-GMP platform. Furthermore, Hyundai Group aims to capture a 10 percent share of the global EV market by 2040. Besides these, it aims to introduce 23 electric vehicles and sell 1 million units worldwide by 2025.