The Hyundai Motor Company has won the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award for the first time as the most innovative volume manufacturer in the Alternative Powertrains category. Last year no carmaker in the world unveiled more innovations in alternative fuel powertrains than Hyundai Motor.
The prestigious AutomotiveINNOVATIONS awards are conferred annually in recognition of outstanding automotive developments that “offer a perceptible added customer benefit”. They are awarded by the renowned Centre of Automotive Management (CAM) in Germany and the global consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Markus Schrick, managing director of Hyundai Motor Deutschland, received the award at a gala ceremony where CAM and PwC acknowledged Hyundai Motor’s pioneering role in the development of new technologies for environmentally friendly vehicles.
The most recent example is the new Hyundai IONIQ, the world’s first model developed with three electrified powertrains. The Hybrid and the Electric versions will be available during the second half of 2016, to be followed in 2017 by the Plug-in hybrid.
With the launch of IONIQ, Hyundai Motor will be the only manufacturer mass producing four electrified powertrain types: hybrid, electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell. In February 2013 Hyundai Motor became the first company to mass produce and sell a hydrogen-powered vehicle, the ix35 Fuel Cell.
The Hyundai brand is especially innovative not only in alternative fuel powertrain solutions, but across all divisions. Hyundai increased its innovations by 42% in 2015, making it one of the five most innovative automobile manufacturers in the world, according to CAM and PwC.
The AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award comprises 13 categories. They include awards for the most innovative carmaker, the most innovative car brand, conventional drive systems, alternative fuel powertrains, safety systems, connected cars and vehicle concepts.
Decisions are based on a CAM innovation database of 19 global automotive groups this year for which a total of 60 brands were checked. Awarded for the eleventh time this year, the awards took into account nearly 1 500 innovations, which is a new record. The award takes into consideration innovations that have already been presented at least in prototypes.
