cars news 10: Report: Hyundai Launching 200-Mile EV in 2018

Hyundai has announced plans to launch an EV in 2018 with a range of 200 miles per charge. According to a report by Automotive News, Hyundai will launch the new EV with the intent of better competing with electric car manufacturers like Tesla.

Currently, Hyundai offers a two hybrid vehicles, the Sonata Hybrid and its plug-in variant that’s able to travel up to 27 miles on electric power alone. The Ioniq family, which includes Hyundai’s first EV, will being joining the automaker’s lineup this year starting with the conventional hybrid, followed by the electric, and then the plug-in hybrid.The Ioniq Electric will have an estimated range of 110 miles per charge or 125 mpg-e, which is almost half of what the next Hyundai EV will be able to travel before needing to recharge.

Hyundai and sister brand Kia plan to more than double their environmentally-friendly vehicle offerings by 2020. Originally, both automakers claimed 26 vehicles will be available, but that figure has since raised to 28. Currently, Kia offers an all-electric version of its Soul hatchback, which returns a range of 93 miles per charge, and the previous-generation Optima hybrid sedan. A new generation of the Optima hybrid will be available in conventional or plug-in variants in late 2016, while the Niro hybrid crossover arrives sometime next year.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)