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Hyundai seems quite determined to hold on to their title as the most eco-friendly car company. At the Detroit Auto Show, they introduced a new gas-hybrid concept, the Blue Will, which is just a whole bunch of good ideas wrapped in a neat little package. Hyundai calls it a test bed.
What a bed it is. The hybrid car is a plug-in, letting owners recharge batteries on house current. But there is a whole lot more to the Blue Will. The glass roof integrates an array of dye-sensitive solar panels, designed to collect the sun’s energy while parked, recharging the battery and powering a small fan to keep the car cool while you’re in the mall.
The power plant is a combination of an all-aluminum 152-horsepower gasoline direct-inject engine that is attached to a Continuously Variable Transmission and a 100 kW electric motor, the heart of Hyundai’s proprietary parallel hybrid drive architecture. A lithium polymer battery runs the electric motor, a technology Hyundai will be using in its upcoming Elantra hybrid. Hyundai says the Blue Will can reach of distance of 40 miles on the battery alone. With both gasoline engine and electric motor engaged, Hyundai claims a highway rating of 100 miles per gallon or more.
Perhaps the most innovative feature on the car concerns the tailpipe. Cars expel a lot of energy in the form of exhaust heat. Hyundai has developed a thermal generator that mounts to the exhaust manifold to capture that energy, convert it to electricity and use it to power auxiliary systems in the vehicle, like the Bluetooth-enabled stereo system.
The ideas don’t stop with power generation.
The interior of the vehicle includes several high-tech innovations. The gauge cluster has been replaced by an ultra-thin Transparent Organic Light-Emitting Diode that displays in high-resolution color. The center stack is a touch-screen interface display that controls the HVAC, drive (PRNDL) selector and infotainment systems. In what Hyundai calls the focal point of the display, an “Eco-Coach” that graphically promotes fuel-saving behavior by providing constant feedback about fuel consumption and driving efficiency.
The exterior of the car also features several environmentally-sound innovations. Carbon-fiber reinforced plastics and nano-composites have been applied to side sills, moldings and fenders. Bioplastics have been used for panels and other interior and exterior parts. This includes the bike rack that is integrated into the trunk of the car.
With all these new innovations and features, one has to wonder what Hyundai will come up with next year.