We’ve known since last month that Hyundai plans to introduce a first EREV (extended-range electric vehicle) in 2027. We’ve known that because the automaker confirmed as much to investors.
Now, it appears the company’s choice for getting the system first is the Santa Fe. This is as reported by the Electrek outlet, according to which a camouflaged prototype version of the SUV was spotted in South Korea. Helpfully, a sticker on it labeled the vehicle as an EREV. Other than that, the prototype was clearly a Santa Fe, with only a few design changes distinguishing it from the current model.
What’s an EREV?
The powertrain system is definitely a flavour of the month these days within an industry searching for ways to entice reticent car buyers to electric powertrains. In a nutshell, the system includes a gasoline engine, except it’s one that never powers the wheels. Instead, it serves exclusively to recharge the EV battery feeding the electric motor that actually does.
What a Santa Fe EREV might mean, down the road, for the Santa Fe product offering isn’t yet clear. In fact, it might not be clear yet to the folks at Hyundai either. Recall that the current, fifth generation of the SUV, launched for 2026, introduced a hybrid powertrain as an option. So will Hyundai retain the gas-only and hybrid models once the EREV arrives in 2027? The sales performance of each might determine its decision at that point, as might the prevailing winds regarding EVs in markets like the U.S., an important region for the Santa Fe.
Hyundai said last month that its new EREV format will translate into an EV-like driving experience, but without any trace of range anxiety, for reasons of a range approaching 960 km and of, well, gas engine. The company claims that the batteries will be supplied in-house and will offer “full EV power performance with less than half the battery capacity”.
Electrek reminds us that Hyundai’s premium label Genesis is also planning an EREV, and also for 2027; in that case, the brand is going with its popular GV70.
