New Technologies For Customers Major Change
New Technologies For Customers Major Change

Video: New Technologies For Customers Major Change

Video: New Technologies For Customers Major Change
Video: 10 Mind Blowing NEW Technologies That Will CHANGE the WORLD 2024, March
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Hyundai can offer its customers the full range of alternative drives. In an interview with Autogazette, Germany boss Jürgen Keller talks about the path to electromobility and how to react to the corona crisis.

The Korean car manufacturer Hyundai sees itself as being well positioned to meet the strict CO2 limits. Germany boss Jürgen Keller described the specifications from Brussels as very ambitious, "but we feel well prepared for them due to our wide range of alternative drives".

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With a view to the further reduction of the CO2 limit values by the year 2030, every manufacturer has to rethink its portfolio.

Great deal for Kona Elektro

“We at Hyundai did this very early on, as a glance at our drives shows. We are the only manufacturer that can already supply its customers with the complete range in series. In order to achieve the CO2 targets, however, it is important that customers are introduced to the new drives,”says Keller.

The importer is currently trying to do this, for example with an attractive offer for the Hyundai Kona Elektro. The Koreans' city SUV is not only offered with an eight-year guarantee, but at the same time the purchase premium has been increased to 8,000 euros.

These days it is important to act prudently

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The battery is mounted in the underbody of the Hyundai Kona. Hyundai

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A robot transports the battery for assembly.. Hyundai

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The first Kona Elektro are loaded at the Hyundai plant in Nosovice. Hyundai

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The Hyundai Kona Elektro has a range of over 480 kilometers with a large battery. Angelika Kemmerling / Hyundai

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The Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid makes a strong impression in the city. Hyundai

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The Hyundai Nexo has a maximum output of 163 hp. Hyundai

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Filling the tank of the Hyundai Nexo completely takes just under 5 minutes. Hyundai

Autogazette: Mr. Keller, the corona crisis has virtually brought life in Germany to a standstill. How much does this threaten your business and that of trade?

Jürgen Keller: We are following and evaluating the dynamic development of this extraordinary situation very carefully. The health and well-being of our employees, business partners and their employees are of the utmost importance to us. These days it is important to act with great prudence and to help one another.

Autogazette: How do you try to help your partners?

Keller: We are currently analyzing the procedure and assessment of target achievement for the month of March and for the 1st quarter of 2020. Concrete measures include extending various deadlines and interest-free areas. For example, there is a deferred repayment for vehicles that have not yet been replaced in the dealer inventory. In addition, individual premiums for sales to private or commercial customers are no longer paid monthly, but weekly. In addition, the existing regulations for the keeping of storage and demonstration vehicles will be relaxed.

Autogazette: The carmakers must achieve a CO2 limit of 95 g / km on average by 2021. Do you think this limit is too ambitious?

Keller: It's very ambitious and also represents a challenge for Hyundai. But we feel we are well prepared for it due to our wide range of alternative drives.

Autogazette: It won't stay at 95 g / km, but the reduction will again amount to 37.5 percent from 2025 to 2030. Can a car maker like Hyundai achieve such a value?

Keller: Every car manufacturer has to rethink its portfolio here. We at Hyundai did this very early on, as a glance at our drives shows. We are the only manufacturer that can already supply its customers with the complete range in series. In order to achieve the CO2 targets, however, it is important that customers are introduced to the new drives.

Not achieving the same profitability with e-mobility

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Autogazette: Would there have been such a strong focus on e-mobility without these strict limit values?

Keller: I don't think so, because the new technologies mean a major change for the customer. They have to deal with drives that they had nothing to do with before. This also applies to new mobility solutions. It is also the case that it has so far not been possible to achieve the same profitability with e-mobility as with vehicles with combustion engines. As a result, the manufacturers would probably not have pushed the switch to e-mobility as much as is the case today without these limit values.

Autogazette: How much is Hyundai under pressure to reach the CO2 limit of 95 g / km by 2021? Is your portfolio a sure-fire success?

Keller: No, it's not a sure-fire success. It is an ambitious goal, but we are confident that we can achieve it.

Autogazette: Do you see Hyundai as one of the beneficiaries of these strict CO2 limits, given the range of alternative drive systems on offer?

Keller: Profiteur sounds a bit negative at first. Ultimately, however, you can say that we benefit from this because we geared our drive portfolio to alternative drives very early on.

Will offer a variety of solutions for everything to do with cars

Autogazette: You keep repeating that 2020 will be the year of e-mobility for Hyundai. What exactly does the customer mean by this?

Keller: He can understand that this year he can expect great offers in the area of alternative drives from us. For example, we will also offer him many vehicle-related solutions. This includes that we offer him the complete charging infrastructure including individual support. We also provide a charging card in cooperation with the energy supplier EnBW at very attractive conditions. In addition, we have entered into a cooperation with Shell, which means that additional charging points will be available.

Autogazette: By the end of the year, Hyundai wants to have electrified 75 percent of its models. How many of these are all-electric cars?

Keller: We don't want to communicate that just yet. But one thing I can say is that we will be bringing electric vehicles onto the market in the next few years based on the new electric platform - on which the Hyundai 45 and Prophecy concept studies are based. This year we just had an important milestone with the start of series production of the Kona Elektro in the Czech Republic. In addition to the Kona, we already have a second all-electric car on offer, the Ioniq.

Sold over 5,000 electric vehicles in the previous year

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Autogazette: How important is the start of production of the Kona Elektro in Nosovice in the Czech Republic for the development of e-mobility in Europe?

Keller: Very important. With this step we have tripled our production capacities. In the Czech Republic alone, 30,000 Kona Elektro are expected to roll off the assembly line this year. This enables us to offer the customer significantly shorter delivery times of three to four months. Occasionally you had to wait up to a year for the Kona last year. Now it is even more interesting for customers to order a Kona Elektro.

Autogazette: Due to the corona crisis, the plant will be closed for two weeks from this Monday. Will that lead to problems with delivery times?

Keller: Not for the time being, as hundreds of cars have already been pre-produced for the German market. You have to wait and see what happens next.

Autogazette: By the end of the year, Hyundai wants to bring 80,000 emission-free cars onto the market across Europe. How many of these will be in Germany after 10,000 vehicles in 2019?

Keller: Much, much more than these 10,000 vehicles.

Autogazette: Does the Kona Elektro play the most important role in your portfolio?

Keller: Absolutely, it is the most important vehicle to meet the CO2 limit values.

Autogazette: You not only offer the Kona with an eight-year guarantee, but have increased the purchase premium to a total of 8,000 euros. Can e-cars only be sold with such high discounts?

Keller: Not only. We already marketed over 5000 electric vehicles in this price range last year. And for this year too, we have more ambitious goals. With these measures, we believe that we will acquire additional customers. We have already received orders for the Kona 2000 in the first two months of this year.

Delay was a template for us

Autogazette: Would you have offered the same amount of 8,000 euros if the federal government's increase in the purchase premium had not been delayed?

Keller: Yes, but the delay was a template for us that we were happy to use.

Autogazette: How annoyed are you about the delay? Was that why customers were reluctant to buy?

Keller: It was without question positive that an increase was decided in November. That was a good signal to customers. The fact that it then took so long to implement was unfortunate.

Autogazette: With the 5000 e-cars sold in the previous year, you achieved an increase of 140 percent compared to 2018. What rate of increase would you be satisfied with at the end of the year?

Keller: That depends on the further market development in connection with the corona crisis. Two or three months ago I said that the market development in the first quarter would be significantly below the previous year and that the market would then recover. For the second half of the year I assumed the level of the previous year. The worsening corona crisis will only tell in the coming weeks whether it will stay that way. But there will definitely be economic consequences.

Fuel cell technology remains important

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Autogazette: With the launch of the Hyundai i10, you opened an online showroom in Elsenfeld, Franconia. Customers can find out about their models there seven days a week. Have you already noticed a stronger response due to the corona crisis?

Basement, cellar:Especially in a phase like now, we are happy that customers can get advice on our models online in the showroom. With this form of presentation, we have a means with which we are well armed in times of the corona crisis. In the last few weeks we had around 1000 visitors a day on the showroom's landing page. We expect this number to increase in the next few weeks and are prepared for it. Over 50 percent of the visitors use the mobile phone for their information tour. Customers can currently have the new i10, the Kona Elektro and the Ioniq plug-in hybrid shown. We have only just been contacted by our Italian colleagues. You want to use our showroom for consultations because of the corona crisis. We are currently in coordination with Hyundai Italy on this.

Autogazette: Hyundai has great expertise in hydrogen propulsion. Does it currently still play a role for you with a view to the German market?

Keller: Of course, fuel cell technology is still important. But we don't currently have enough vehicles available to meet the high demand. That's why we don't put a lot of marketing money into advertising a vehicle like the Nexo.

Autogazette: But does hydrogen drive play an important role in Hyundai's long-term strategy ?

Keller: Absolutely, we believe in technology. Personally, I firmly believe that hydrogen propulsion will be the propulsion system of the future in the long term, especially for larger vehicles such as trucks.

Frank Mertens conducted the interview with Jürgen Keller

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