Connect with us

Published

on

Hyundai and Kia will recall around 170,000 EVs in Korea, the largest since they launched. The recall is over a software issue impacting Hyundai’s IONIQ, Genesis, and Kia EVs. Meanwhile, there’s an open NHTSA investigation in the US.

Hyundai and Kia recall 170,000 electric vehicles

The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced the recall on Thursday. Twelve models from Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis Korea, and Tesla Korea were found to have defects.

Hyundai and Kia accounted for most of the recall, with around 170,000 EVs impacted. Of them, 113,916 Hyundai models, including the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, Genesis GV60, GV70, and Electrified G80.

Kia is recalling 56,016 EV6 models, while 136 Tesla Model 3’s will be updated due to pedestrian warning sounds. Meanwhile, several hundred Jeep Cherokee and Wranglers were also recalled.

The Hyundai and Kia EVs were found to have a software glitch in the ICCU that could affect power to the battery. This can cause charging issues or possibly a loss of power while driving.

Hyundai and Kia will issue a software update once they receive the recalled models. If there’s still a faulty code, they will replace the ICCU.

Hyundai-Kia-recall
The new Hyundai IONIQ 5 facelift (Source: Hyundai)

In the US, the NHTSA opened an investigation on June 8, 2023, over several reports of loss of ICCU power in NY 2022-2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 models. The 2022 Kia EV6 is also being investigated over loss of power complaints.

Although the 2023 IONIQ 6 is not being investigated, several complaints have been filed with the NHTSA due to charging issues.

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-Black-Edition
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Black Edition (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai Motor Group said in a statement (via Reuters), “Hyundai Motor and Kia will take prompt actions to prevent customer inconvenience and will continue to prioritize the safety of our customers and their vehicles.” The recall in Korea is set to begin on March 18.

The news comes after Hyundai introduced a new trade-in program in its home market, offering new discounts to encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles.

Kia-EV6-GT-update
Kia EV6 GT (Source: Kia)

Electrek’s Take

Despite the significant recall, Hyundai is plowing ahead in the EV market. Last year, Hyundai was the fourth best-selling EV brand in the US. Including Kia, Hyundai Motor topped Ford and GM for second place in the US EV market, trailing only Tesla.

Hyundai is one of many automakers with software issues. For example, GM just lifted the Chevy Blazer EV stop-sale this week after nearly three months over a software quality issue.

After a two-year delay over software, Porsche finally unveiled its all-electric Macan EV in January.

Hyundai is expected to launch its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, later this year, which could help boost sales in the US, its largest market.

South Korea also introduced a new EV subsidy plan that benefits domestic automakers like Hyundai and Kia while penalizing cheaper batteries from China.

Hyundai aims to be a top-three EV maker by 2030, but it will need to get back on track as the recall could derail its momentum this year. The automaker is planning to open its first EV and battery plant in the US by the end of 2024, which is expected to enable vehicles built at the facility to qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit.

Source: The Korean Economic Daily

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

ZeroAvia scores 45 fresh patents for hydrogen aviation engines

Published

on

By

ZeroAvia scores 45 fresh patents for hydrogen aviation engines

Aviation startup ZeroAvia says it’s been granted a “raft” of 45 new patents key to the development of practical large hydrogen aviation engines – and the company says it has 200 more H-related patents in the pipeline!

The news comes just weeks after ZeroAvia and Scottish regional airline Loganair announced a new, hydrogen-electric “turboprop” replacement motor capable of up to 5MW of shaft horsepower (~6,700 hp). United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) no. 12,341,225 covers an integrated hydrogen-electric engine design land is key to the development of a modular multi-MW hydrogen-electric engine for the ATR 42 and 72 model aircraft — which Loganair owns more than twenty of.

ATR isn’t the only potential customer ZerAvia is eyeballing, either. Despite hydrogen losing ground on utility-scale projects and more companies realizing that it’s “impossible” for hydrogen to compete as a transportation fuel, the fuel still seems to have some practical application in the aviation space. Both Airbus and Boeing have advanced plans and IP for hydrogen-ready airframes in recent weeks, as well, making the IP for large hydrogen-powered aviation engines that much more valuable.

“Recent patents filed and granted around hydrogen aviation give a window into an accelerating field of innovation,” explains Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia. “As we see the large airframe manufacturers beginning to compete on technologies for hydrogen aircraft, there is a big opportunity for companies pioneering hydrogen propulsion systems. These are the inventions that will deliver truly clean, more affordable and highly efficient commercial air travel.”

Advertisement – scroll for more content

What it’s all about


ZA2000 2-5MW modular hydrogen-electric powertrain for 40-80 seat regional turboprops
ZA2000 2-5MW aviation engine; via ZeroAvia.

Like many tech-based startups, securing IP has been an integral part of ZeroAvia’s strategy, with the value of its patents being, essentially, the value of the company. Just as – if not more important to airlines like Loganair, American, and EcoJet, however, are the potential cost-savings of hydrogen compared to conventional aviation fuels like kerosene.

Importantly, these novel engines promise cost reductions for airlines. The substantially lower maintenance needs of hydrogen-electric engines will mean a decrease in maintenance and downtime for an airline’s fleet, with hydrogen fuel also projected to be significantly more cost effective than kerosene over time.

ZEROAVIA

You can read more about the new ZA600 and ZA2000 hydrogen-electric av motors here, and let us know what you think of hydrogen’s chances against traditional, kerosense-based aviation fuels in the comments.

SOURCE | IMAGES: ZeroAvia.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

100 MPH on a STANDING e-scooter?! Bo blows way past the limits

Published

on

By

100 MPH on a STANDING e-scooter?! Bo blows way past the limits

You might want to hold onto your handlebars for this one – literally. The fashion-forward British electric scooter maker Bo just unveiled what could be the most extreme electric scooter the world has ever seen. Named The Turbo, this standing e-scooter isn’t just playing around with speed – it’s aiming to smash right through it and find out what’s waiting on the other side.

And it all begs the question, “How much is too much?”

When we talk about fast electric scooters, we’re usually in the neighborhood of 50 mph (80 km/h). But the Bo Turbo doubles those numbers.

With 100 mph+ (160+ km/h) top speeds and claimed acceleration that’s faster than a Tesla, this scooter seems to use a design philosophy pulled straight from the playbook of Formula One. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the team behind The Turbo includes engineers with experience from Williams F1 and the Bloodhound Land Speed Record rocket car.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Bo Turbo looks at home in the Bo-nnevile salt flats

The world’s fastest e-scooter?

Built on the same base chassis as the company’s sleek road-going Bo Model-M, The Turbo takes everything up a notch – actually, several notches. It features a 24,000 W dual-motor powertrain, 1,800 Wh battery, advanced traction control, and a power-to-weight ratio that reportedly beats a Bugatti Veyron.

At full power, the system is capable of propelling riders down a straightaway at three-digit speeds while standing upright. It’s absurd. It’s glorious. It’s gratuitous. It’s a dream. Or it’s a nightmare.

Bo says the machine is already delivering 85+ mph (137+ km/h) in early track testing at Goodwood Motor Circuit and is currently in development to push beyond the 100 mph barrier under Guinness World Record supervision.

And just in case you’re wondering if this is some experimental prototype cooked up in a lab – it’s not. The company is planning a limited run of built-to-order Turbo scooters, starting at a whopping $29,500. The first one is scheduled for delivery to a collector in Madrid during the 2026 Formula One race weekend.

The Bo Turbo shares the same chassis as the more mild-mannered Bo M scooter

From F1 brake ducts to street scooter DNA

Despite the headline-grabbing speed numbers, there’s a ton of serious engineering going on here. The Turbo uses ram-air intakes based on F1 brake cooling designs to keep the motors and controllers from overheating. The chassis – made from aerospace-grade aluminum and CNC-machined billet parts – is based on Bo’s proven Monocurve platform, the same structure that underpins the Bo Model-M. In fact, that might be the most impressive part of all, that the same chassis used underneath their everyday-ride-it-to-work Bo Model-M scooter is also holding together this 100 mph beast.

Bo’s team insists that despite the monster specs, The Turbo remains “surprisingly rideable.” Professional BMX rider Tre Whyte has piloted over 20 high-speed test runs, with the team now preparing to push the envelope even further.

A wild PR stunt – or something more?

It’s tempting to see The Turbo as just a headline machine (and hey, it works), but Bo says this project is about more than just chasing speed records. According to Bo CEO Oscar Morgan, “The Turbo is part of our mission to elevate these futuristic electric vehicles into the top tier of automotive performance.”

And honestly, they’ve got a point. E-scooters have exploded in popularity as low-speed urban vehicles, but the category rarely gets taken seriously in the performance world, despite the advent of racing leagues. Bo wants to change that – and they’re using motorsport technology to do it.

Electrek’s Take

Is this a practical daily rider? Absolutely not. But that’s not the point.

Bo is doing what so few e-scooter companies are willing to do – pushing boundaries, proving performance, and trying to make scooters feel exciting, not just functional. Whether The Turbo hits 100 mph or not, it’s already helped raise the bar for what electric micromobility can be. And if that means they develop safer and stable ways to build scooters along the way, then all the better.

The fact that they actually plan to sell these is a bit worrying, though the $30k pricetag means the local teens on your street aren’t going to be terrorizing the sidewalks with them. Well, not unless you’ve got an oil sheikh and his teenagers living on your street.

But hey, if you’ve got thirty grand and a need for painful death levels of speed – maybe this is your next toy.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Chevron defeats Exxon in dispute over Guyana oil assets, clearing path for Hess acquisition

Published

on

By

Chevron defeats Exxon in dispute over Guyana oil assets, clearing path for Hess acquisition

Chevron prevails in mediation over Exxon in Guyana oil assets

Chevron has prevailed against Exxon Mobil in a dispute over Hess Corporation’s offshore oil assets in the South American nation of Guyana, Exxon CEO Darren Woods told CNBC’s Becky Quick on Friday.

The ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce in favor of Chevron clears the way for the oil major to complete its $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corporation.

Chevron shares jumped about 3% in premarket trading.

“We disagree with the ICC panel’s interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process,” Exxon said in a statement Friday.

The dispute had created significant uncertainty over whether Chevron’s acquisition of Hess would close, weighing on the oil major’s stock performance. The transaction would have failed if Exxon had prevailed.

Exxon and China National Offshore Oil Corporation had filed an arbitration case with the ICC, claiming a right of first refusal over Hess’s assets in the Stabroek Block, an oil development off the coast of Guyana.

Hess has a 30% stake in an oil patch, while Exxon leads the project with a 45% stake and CNOOC maintains 25% stake.

“We welcome Chevron to the venture and look forward to continued industry-leading performance and value creation in Guyana for all parties involved,” Exxon said.

Continue Reading

Trending