Recyclable plastic SUV from Hyundai

From Hyundai Europe and GE Plastics, the strong light and safe QarmaQ points to future SUV crossovers. At the Geneva International Motor Show today, Hyundai Motor Co. and GE Plastics presented QarmaQ, a first in the Crossover Coupe segment. The QarmaQ is Hyundai’s Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (ATDV) that showcases over 30 different environmentally progressive technologies led by the innovative “Elastic Front®”, an innovative solution that can help reduce the risk of severe injuries in Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) pedestrian collisions.

7 March 2007
Immediate release

Recyclable plastic SUV from Hyundai

Despite uninformed criticism the SUV is alive and well with a big future.

Hyundai has just hinted at how big with a recyclable, pedestrian-friendly design called QarmaQ (pronounced Karma–Q).

The product of Hyundai Motor Europe’s Design and Technical Centre has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in corroboration with GE Plastics.

The crossover vehicle has just two doors, seriously high ground clearance, and is almost completely recyclable, very light in weight and decidedly good-looking.

And it tackles the issue of pedestrian safety head-on with an Elastic Front®.

The advanced technology development vehicle (ATDV) uses high-performance composites and thermoplastics extensively to replace components traditionally manufactured from metal, glass, and thermosets. As well as the Elastic Front®, they appear in the exterior, interior, lighting systems, and underhood.

The Elastic Front® requires no airbags or mechanical pop-up hydraulics; it uses the inherent properties of plastic materials.

Energy-absorbing structures and the natural properties of the plastics are seamlessly integrated into the futuristic styling of the vehicle. Different impact zones on the car correlate to the various areas of a pedestrian’s body likely to be contacted in a collision.

Among the benefits is a weight reduction of up to 60kg that can offer an average fuel savings of up to 80 litres/year, plus the ability to create complex, 3D shapes.

Components are derived from 85 percent post-consumer plastic waste, each QarmaQ helping divert close to 900 PET plastic bottles from potential landfill.

Paint-free solutions used for the vehicle’s exterior and interior help to reduce volatile emissions given off during traditional painting operations; colour is moulded in a special resin that enables thinner wire and cable coatings that help reduce vehicle weight and allow more electronics in the same space.

Among GE Plastics’ most interesting contributions is the glazing technology that replaces window and windshield glass with a polycarbonate resin, allowing a panoramic wrap-around greenhouse that reaches down into the door in a C-shape arrangement.

To resist scratching, a very thin layer of glass is actually integrated onto the element. The technology is said to cut weight in half compared with standard glass.

“At Hyundai, we believe in innovation for humanity, and QarmaQ demonstrates our commitment to safety innovation and our determination to bring more environmentally responsible technologies to the market," said Dr. Kwon Moon-Shik, Hyundai Motor's vice president of advanced technology.

"We chose to partner with GE Plastics because of their commitment to the environment and their wide range of innovative materials and technical capabilities.

“Technologies from QarmaQ will provide Hyundai owners with a safer, more environmentally responsible car and a better driving experience."

Information is available in depth at www.hyundai-motor.com

The QarmaQ comes just as Kiwis are embracing Hyundai SUVs in record numbers.

With its heavily-awarded new Santa Fe and popular Tucson leading the way, the South Korean brand is now number three in the New Zealand SUV market.

ENDS

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