Wind cheater! Hyundai and Kia devise new tech that will increase EV range, speed and grip ALL at the same time
The giant Korean auto group incorporating Hyundai and Kia has detailed a new aerodynamic aid it is planning to roll out on all future EVs that will cut drag on even the slipperiest of its models, boost downforce, enhance high-speed stability and traction all while adding up to six kilometres of range.
Dubbed the Active Air Skirt (AAS) the new tech has been developed by both Kia and Hyundai and the group’s luxury arm, Genesis. It consists of a pair of wind deflectors that lower at speeds of over 80km/h.
Once deployed the spoilers reduce the turbulence that builds-up around the front wheels, reducing drag by up to 2.8 per cent on the modified Genesis GV60 SUV the technology has been testing on – equating to a 0.008Cd reduction in its drag coefficient – adding a real-world six kilometres to the range.
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Created to live within the space between the front bumper and the front wheels the AAS spoilers automatically retract when speed drops below 70km/h.
In testing the air skirt is designed to operate at speeds up to 200km/h.
If you’re wondering why the active air skirts only deploy around the front wheels it’s because Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform – on which they’re first deployed – already has an optimum flat floor between the axles.
So effective is the new tech Hyundai Motor and Kia have now applied for patents in South Korea and the US.
Both brands plan to roll out AAS in their next-generation vehicles once full durability and performance tests have been completed.
When the AAS arrives on the brands next-gen EVs they will join the active air flaps, wheel air curtains, wheel gap reducers and separation traps that the wind-cheating Hyundai Ioniq 6 has exploited to lower its drag coefficient to a class-leading 0.21Cd.
Hyundai’s mobility body development group boss, Sun Hyung Cho, said: “This technology is expected to have a greater effect on models such as SUVs where it is difficult to improve aerodynamic performance.
“We will continue to strive to improve the driving performance and stability of electric vehicles through improvements in aerodynamics.”
