Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive architecture in the All-new Sonata Hybrid

Introducing the Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive architecture in the all-new Sonata hybrid car…

The all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata hybrid has been receiving much rave by both peers and competition. It is powered and designed to lead its category and start an all-new level of competition altogether.

Recently launched at a New York auto show, the Sonata hybrid, the first Hyundai hybrid in the United States, promises to deliver best in class power with its hybrid powertrain design, newly developed battery technology and attractive vehicle appearance.

What’s so unique with this Sonata is the Hyundai-developed Hybrid Blue Drive Architecture. It is a full parallel hybrid drive system that can be operated using electricity, gasoline, or a combination of the two depending on driver requirements and driving conditions.

Unlike the power split technology architecture used by other cars, Hyundai’s full parallel architecture guarantees better efficiency at higher speeds. What’s unique about this technology is that it uses Hyundai-developed lithium polymer battery and the new 6-speed gearbox. Nothing comes close to these new technologies only from this Korean-based car manufacturer.

As a proprietary hybrid drive system, the Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive runs on the 2,4L Theta II engine that produces 169 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 156 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, but still fuel-efficient at the same time. For maximum fuel savings, this much power comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW (151 lb-ft) electric motor.

This cutting-edge Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive can run on electricity or fuel. Depending on road and driving conditions, the Hyundai may be powered by its gasoline engine or electric motor or both at the same time. According to Hyundai officials, the company intends to develop more hybrid drive vehicles in the near future using this parallel hybrid drive architecture.

The Hybrid Blue Drive Architecture in the Sonata makes use of the Theta II engine. This engine has multi-port fuel injection (MPI) that operates on an internal combustion engine strategy known as the Atkinson Cycle. This strategy dramatically increases fuel efficiency as it changes compression and power strokes in the 4-stroke engine. The electric motor and the Atkinson Cycle engine allow this architecture to power the Sonata with the highest hybrid highway efficiency.

As a very practical and wise way of conserving fuel, the Hybrid Blue Drive Architecture performs the following: through its Hybrid Power Control (HPC) management software, the engine automatically shuts off and cuts emissions to zero whenever the car stops. As the driver steps on the accelerator pedal, the engine is automatically restarted by the Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG). This means no fuel is consumed when the car is not in use.

Hybrid Blue Drive boasts of the following features: an efficient 30kW electric motor with 151 lb-ft of torque, a reliable regenerative braking system, Hyundai’s breakthrough lithium polymer battery, the powerful yet fuel-efficient Theta II 2,4L engine, 6-speed automatic transmission with an improved efficiency electric oil pump, weight-efficient architecture with a low drag coefficient of.25 Cd target, electronic air conditioning compressor, and a hybrid power control unit.

Hyundai expects its all-new Sonata to lead the way and the entire motoring world is closely watching.