Hyundai News: First U.S. Built Santa Fe Hybrid Rolling Off Line
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- Santa Fe Hybrid to Begin Production in October 2022
MONTGOMERY, Ala., April 12, 2022 – Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) today announced it will continue to grow its sport utility vehicle production capabilities later this year with the addition of the hybrid version of the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Hybrid will join the Elantra sedan, Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs, and Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle on the Montgomery assembly line.
The addition of the Santa Fe Hybrid will mark the beginning of Hyundai’s electric vehicle production in the United States. The latest milestone for HMMA received the green light during a recent project agreement signing ceremony with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey at the state capitol and was announced by José Muñoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America in New York City today. Recently announced production enhancements at HMMA including the start of production of Santa Fe Hybrid will include $300 million in investments and the creation of 200 additional jobs.
“Hyundai Motor Company is taking its first steps toward bringing electric vehicle production to the United States. We are excited to showcase our team members in producing electric vehicles here in Alabama,” said Ernie Kim, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.
“Over the years, we have developed an enduring partnership with Hyundai, and it’s been great to witness the profound economic impacts of the company’s continued investments in Alabama,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Hyundai’s new growth plans in Montgomery will help prepare the state’s auto industry for the EV revolution while also aligning with our strategic initiatives such as Drive Electric Alabama. This is another major milestone for our friends at Hyundai.”
HMMA will begin plant expansion projects ranging from additional warehouse space to enhanced assembly processes to support electric vehicle production. The Santa Fe Hybrid will begin production in October 2022.
The addition of the Santa Fe Hybrid will strengthen HMMA’s position as a preferred employer in Montgomery and continue to increase high quality jobs at the plant and throughout its supplier base.
The Santa Fe Hybrid matches SUV versatility with MPG efficiency and is available now at all U.S. dealerships.
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., is an independent manufacturing operation of Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, Korea. HMMA currently produces the Hyundai Elantra, Santa Fe, Tucson and Santa Cruz, sport adventure vehicle. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 900 Hyundai dealerships across North America.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America focuses on ‘Progress for Humanity’ and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 738,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2021, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.
2022 Santa Fe Hybrid
2022 Santa Fe Hybrid Propulsion System with HTRAC® All-Wheel Drive
Santa Fe now offers a hybrid propulsion system for eco-focused buyers. SUV buyers expect all-weather capability and the Santa Fe Hybrid includes standard HTRAC® all-wheel drive. The hybrid powertrain features a Smartstream 1.6-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged four-cylinder engine coupled with a new HEV-tuned six-speed automatic transmission. This new six-speed transmission is specially tuned for optimal efficiency, economy and driving performance in a turbocharged HEV application. The turbo engine yields an estimated output of 178 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, with an estimated 225 horsepower from the combined engine and motor system, and peak torque estimated at 195 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm.
The HEV starter-generator and the electric drive motor are both permanent-magnet type systems, with the hybrid starter-generator rated at 13kW and the electric drive motor rated at 44kW (59 horsepower). The system utilizes a lithium-ion polymer battery rated at 1.5 kWh and 270V/5.5 Ah, with a maximum battery output of 64kW, efficiently storing the hybrid’s electric energy efficiently in a compact and lightweight package.
HTRAC® Advanced AWD System
Santa Fe offers Hyundai’s HTRAC® All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system. The HTRAC AWD system was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. The driver-selectable HTRAC Normal, Sport and Smart modes help provide confident control in all weather conditions. The Sport setting gives a more agile feel by sending more available torque to the rear wheels, for a sporty dynamic feel when desired. This system has a wider range of torque distribution variability than many competitive systems and has been tuned to conditions such as straight-line acceleration, medium- and high-speed cornering, and hill starts. The Santa Fe Hybrid model includes HTRAC all-wheel drive as standard equipment.
