The Hyundai Santa Fe is in line to receive a brand-new range-extender hybrid powertrain that will allow the popular seven-seat SUV to deliver an EV-like driving experience, and cover up to 600 miles without stopping. News of the new Santa Fe EREV, which means ‘Extended-Range Electric Vehicle’, was announced at Hyundai’s 2026 CEO Investor Day event. It’s one of more than 100 new or updated cars Hyundai and its premium sister brand Genesis are planning to launch by the end of the decade. Range-extender technology uses electric motors to drive a car’s wheels and deliver as close to an EV driving experience as possible, including instant acceleration and superior refinement to normal hybrids. Then for extra flexibility, a combustion engine can generate energy for the e-motors and battery pack, eliminating the range anxiety drivers can experience with electric cars. The result is, in Hyundai’s words, “an uncompromising approach to electrification”. The range-extender powertrain in the Santa Fe will be Hyundai’s first, and will consist of two e-motors, presumably for all-wheel drive, powered by a new type of high-performance battery designed in-house. This uses a new battery cell that achieves the same energy density as those in the brand’s latest pure-electric cars, but delivers more power, faster charging and better cooling. We don’t know exactly how big the battery in the Santa Fe EREV is yet, but according to ChangHwan Kim, head of electrification energy solutions at Hyundai, it’ll be about half the size of an equivalent EV’s, which will help to reduce the weight and cost of the car. Yet he also claimed it will be able to deliver a power output and performance similar to the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 that has a battery twice the size. “Through our cumulative experience and R&D capabilities, Hyundai’s battery solution dramatically reduces vehicle weight to maximise efficiency, creates a more spacious interior, and fully delivers the quiet yet dynamic driving experience that’s unique to electric vehicles,” said Kim. The Hyundai Sante Fe EREV will launch early next year and will be produced in the company’s Alabama plant in the US. However, it’s not been confirmed if this new version of the SUV will be sold in Europe and the UK. If it does, it would most likely replace the existing plug-in hybrid version, which offers up to 34 miles of pure-electric range. It is currently available from a little over £53,000, but you can save more than £8,000 on one with the help of the Auto Express Buy A Car service. Range-extender powertrains are also going to join the Genesis line-up next year, and supposedly deliver up to 640 miles of range. We’re not sure if this tech is different in any way to that going into the Santa Fe, or what model it’ll first appear in. Get the latest car news in your inbox, for FREE! Sign up to the Auto Express email newsletter...
