Figure 1: Hyundai N Vision 74 Structure (Source: Hyundai N)
Earth is suffering. Irrefutable fact. The need for sustainability surged worldwide, and the automobile field is no exception. Tesla’s success proved the superiority of electric vehicles over combustion engine vehicles nearly in every practicality except for the car’s innate soul. As the demise of internal combustion engines is one step closer, all automotive makers–Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz–are constantly developing and unveiling electric vehicles, seeking ways to continue the heritage of their dynamic, premium cars in the EV era.
While other companies were immersed in only developing electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Company came up with an interesting solution: N Vision 74. Thanks to Hyundai’s continuous commitment to hydrogen-cell development, N Vision 74 is the first car in the world to combine Electric Vehicle (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. The N Vision 74 is able to generate up to 670 horsepower, supplied by two independent motors with an output of 335 horsepower combined with 4.2 kg dual-hydrogen ‘fuel stacks’ (2.1 kg than Hyundai NEXO) and a ‘T-typed’ 62 kWh battery pack. Furthermore, the N Vision 74 supports rapid electric charging and hydrogen-cell charging. The hydrogen cell can be completely charged in under five minutes and provides a travel range of over 600 kilometers, nullifying electric vehicles’ disadvantages: long charge time and relatively-short range. Despite being equipped with all these systems, Hyundai managed to cut its kerb weight to 2,472 kg, which is quite light for an electric vehicle, considering that Porsche’s sole electric vehicle Taycan is over 2.5 tonnes. The N vision 74 delivers its massive power to the rear wheels only, being capable of pulling flamboyant drifts and slides, which are a must for car enthusiasts.
However, the N Vision 74 is not just a car that has increased power output. The car has additional engineering efforts. It has optimized heat management that completely beats the competition. Individual cooling systems are installed for each stack, battery, and power electric module. As a result, the car can endure high-paced racetrack driving. Most other electric vehicles, especially Tesla, lacked endurance due to issues with battery heat management. The integrated control system allows the car to distribute its power between its electric system and hydrogen system.
For more than the past 40 years, Hyundai was behind the European premium automakers and is almost caught up now as can be seen through the 2017 Genesis G70 and 2021 IONIQ5 winning the Best Car of the Year and the Best EV of the Year, respectively. The N Vision 74 marks a significant milestone for not only the automotive history but also the Hyundai heritage. The car pays homage to the PONY, Hyundai’s first manufactured car that brought the popularity of automobiles to the South Koreans. The revival of PONY’s design shows that Hyundai has now established a solid heritage that we can all respect.
Q & A:
Anna: You mentioned that Hyundai was behind the European premium automakers for the past 40 years. What factors make you think so? Do European premium automakers use different tools/techniques to produce their cars?
Time and environment are the top factors. European cars have over 100 years of automotive history, substantially longer than the history of the Hyundai Motor Company which first launched its N brand–a high-performance development lineup–in 2016.
Also, due to the existence of the autobahn, European cars are constantly exposed to an environment where high-speed stability is a must. Along with flourishing automotive races, the European automakers invested full support in developing sports cars.
In contrast, the Hyundai Motor Company did not immediately start investing in building sports cars. When Korea gained pace in the industrial revolution, the Hyundai Motor Company’s first priority was to build practical cars for citizens. Furthermore, in the 1990s and early 2000s, millennials purchased sports cars. Without a proper race track in Korea, many sportscar owners hosted and participated in illegal street racing; therefore, many people had negative feelings to the term ‘sportscar’, often correlating it to illegal activities.
Due to the large funding needed, Hyundai did not take a substantial effort into sports car development until they hired Albert Biermann, who used to be the head of the development of BMW M cars. Hyundai Automotive Group now has the same manpower and abilities to develop as the European Automakers.
David: You talked about N Vision 74’s travel range and stronger horsepower, but how does it compare to other electric vehicles and new cars? Is it more cost effective for its benefits?
Hyundai N Vision 74 is a ‘rolling lab’, where Hyundai development researchers constantly test their hydrogen and electric vehicle technologies; therefore, no finalized stats or specs are available. Premium, top-range electric vehicles currently released into the market, such as Porsche Taycan Turbo S, Tesla Model S Plaid, and Rimac Nevera, have higher performance outputs than N Vision 74. Since N Vision 74 is currently a work in progress, it is possible that the stats will be enhanced.
However, Hyundai N Vision 74 is more focused on ‘racing endurance’ than simple performance. In fact, this mission statement is the reason why Hyundai implemented hydrogen cell energy. Unlike other manufacturers, Hyundai constantly developed its hydrogen cell technology. As a result, it is more cost-effective for Hyundai in racecar development.
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