Hyundai's new hybrid – a promising step toward electrification
As Hyundai Group navigates the slowdown in global Electric Vehicle (EV) demand, the company has started to refocus its efforts on its existing xEV technology — the hybrid vehicle — to drive growth. Even Genesis, the group's luxury brand, has shifted from a strategy of full electrification to include hybrid configurations in its product line-up in response to the rising popularity of such vehicles.
In 2011, Hyundai introduced its first full hybrid system, known as the 'Transmission Mounted Electrical Device' (TMED), with the Sonata model in Korea. This proprietary series-hybrid system features an electric motor positioned between the engine and transmission — referred to as the P2 configuration — and utilizes a dual-clutch mechanism to manage power distribution. Additionally, this system can operate solely on electric power under certain conditions. Over the past decade, Hyundai has integrated this hybrid system into several of its models. Sales of its Full Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FHEVs) surged from over 222k units in 2020 to more than 770k units in 2024, with an average growth rate of 36% and accounting for approximately 14% of its global Passenger Vehicle (PV) sales.
However, Hyundai's hybrid system began to lag in fuel economy and driving performance compared to the latest models from competitors. As a result, in April 2025, the group unveiled its new Full Hybrid powertrain, known as TMED-II, which will debut in the latest Hyundai Palisade. The enhanced hybrid system not only retains the P2 motor at the transmission input but also integrates an additional motor at the engine output, known as the P1 configuration. The group claims that this innovation significantly improves fuel economy over the previous generation. Furthermore, Hyundai plans to incorporate the new hybrid system into three vehicle categories: Large, Midsize, and Compact. The same system architecture is also set to be implemented in the longitudinal powertrains of Genesis models.
It is anticipated that the next-generation Hyundai hybrid system will enhance performance and fuel efficiency across various segments. The group asserts that this new hybrid system offers a 45% improvement in fuel economy and a 29% increase in power compared to Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) of the same category.
We expect increased FHEV market penetration in the B and E segments, particularly in the B segment within emerging markets like India, where FHEVs are likely to replace diesel vehicles. Meanwhile, growth in the E segment is expected to be driven by Large SUVs from the Hyundai and Kia brands, as well as Genesis models. By 2030, our projections indicate that the group will expand its FHEV presence to approximately 1.3 mn units worldwide, representing over 21% of its global sales.
However, as global demand for EVs rises due to technological advancements and stricter emission regulations, the growth of FHEVs is expected to slow in the latter part of the decade and eventually be surpassed by pure EVs. Nevertheless, FHEVs will continue to play a crucial role in the group's strategy to achieve its goal of full electrification.
Kwan Wongwetsawat, Senior Analyst, Global Powertrain, GlobalData
This article was first published on GlobalData's dedicated research platform, the .
"Hyundai's new hybrid – a promising step toward electrification" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.
The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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It made more sense to us—as it will to most owners, we assume—to plug the Ioniq 5 and its new charging port into a Supercharger capable of delivering well in excess of the Hyundai's claimed 250-kW peak charging power. Unfortunately, any owner doing that is likely to be disappointed. The power plateaued at 126 kW from 5 to 73 percent in our test, and a Hyundai spokesperson confirmed that MotorTrend's Supercharger experience matched what customers should expect. (We'll explain the why in greater detail below.) To test the Ioniq 5's true charging capability, we pivoted back to an Electrify America station using a NACS-to-CCS adapter. The difference means that, in the time it takes to use the bathroom and grab a snack, someone using the Electrify America station has enough additional energy to drive for an extra 51 minutes compared to the Supercharger user. Staying plugged in for longer brought the state of charge closer to parity, but EV road tripping goes faster when you make shorter and more frequent stops. These differences call into question why you'd even bother to use your non-Tesla EV at a Supercharger. As the 2025 Ioniq 5 demonstrates, going elsewhere will be quicker and more effective with certain EVs. What? Why? How? It's Complicated The auto industry typically talks about fast charging in terms of kilowatts (kW), a measure of power. Before the Supercharger network opened to a wider audience, EV drivers generally just needed to know that if the power number on the charger was equal to or larger than what their vehicle could accept, they could expect the full juice. In theory, at least. Reliability issues and battery preconditioning nuances often prevent this in reality. But the idea was easy enough to understand: Plug a 240-kW 2024 Ioniq 5 into a 350-kW Electrify America station, and you should get 240 kW. In the new era, EV drivers also need to understand how much voltage a fast-charging station can deliver—a number that isn't widely advertised by charging providers. Tesla's newest V4 Superchargers, which are fed by older V3 power cabinets, can only output up to 500 volts, while every other 350-kW charger can deliver 1,000 volts. The 2025 Ioniq 5's larger battery pack operates at 697 volts (though it's often referred to as an 800-volt electrical architecture), and one of the principles of charging a battery is that the power input needs to be higher than the pack voltage or else the electricity moves in the wrong direction: out of the battery pack. The fact that a 697-volt Hyundai can charge at all on a 500-volt Tesla Supercharger is a tiny feat of modern engineering. Plugged into a Supercharger, the Ioniq 5 sends electricity through its motor windings to step up the voltage before delivering it to the battery pack. That process has a maximum power limit of 126 kW, as we observed. Give it time, and this confusion should—hopefully—fix itself. Tesla has announced that 1,000-volt Superchargers are coming to North America this year, but the timeline for when and how quickly they'll roll out is as certain as any other timeline thecompanyhaseverindicated. Other charging providers such as EVgo and Ionna are also opening new dispensers with NACS connectors that can hit 1,000 volts. Supercharging Could Still Be Faster There's still real potential that using a Supercharger for your NACS-equipped EV could be faster when you account for all the variables aside from time spent plugged in. Anyone who's road tripped a non-Tesla EV in recent years has charging horror stories. Long lines, broken equipment, slow connections, and human error can all cause infuriating delays. I will never forget the time MotorTrend's long-term 2023 Ioniq 5 demonstrated its great charging capability by going from 5 to 80 percent in about 20 minutes on a 350-kW Electrify America plug—after a two-hour wait behind a pile of other EV drivers. Meanwhile, Tesla Superchargers are common, nearly foolproof in their operation, have a reputation for reliability, and typically have abundant plugs available. According to recent U.S. Department of Energy data, Tesla has more than 2,500 Supercharger stations across the country, comprising nearly 30,000 individual plugs between them (some older stations aren't open to non-Tesla EVs). Electrify America says it has fewer than 1,200 stations with fewer than 5,000 plugs. With this, Tesla offers easy EV charging instead of the chaotic ambiguity of other networks, even if the actual charging is slower and takes longer. It's All Good News The good news is that buyers of new EVs with built-in NACS now have more options than ever—the choice is yours to decide what's the timeliest approach. For now, Ioniq 5 buyers will probably want to keep a CCS to NACS adapter in the car. But as NACS becomes the standard across EVs and the public charging stations, we see a future where that adapter won't be needed anymore.
