The GV80 concept by Genesis brings fuel-cell power to luxury SUVs

By Stephen Edelstein Published April 13, 2017

Hyundai’s new Genesis luxury brand currently sells two large sedans, but at the 2017 New York Auto Show, Genesis will unveil a concept car showing some more ambitious future directions it could take.

The Genesis GV80 concept is a hydrogen fuel cell SUV with a futuristic human-machine interface design. That makes it probably the most relevant concept car to appear in New York: A vehicle that capitalizes on the current popularity of SUVs, features a zero-emission powertrain to meet future efficiency standards, and addresses the all-important question of infotainment tech.

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The GV80 also hints at what future styling direction Genesis might take as it tries to define its identity. The concept’s exterior looks a like a mix of styling cues from the G80 and G90 sedans, with a bit of Bentley Bentayga thrown in. The mesh texture on the grille, wheels, and door pillars is an interesting touch, while 23-inch rims add plenty of bling. The GV80 also features electric door handles that sit flush with the bodywork, a nod to aerodynamic efficiency.

Genesis did not provide any specifications for the GV80 concept’s fuel-cell powertrain, but parent company Hyundai has plenty of experience in thus area. It already leases the Tucson Fuel Cell in California, and is preparing a followup model that will launch next year. It was previewed by the FE Fuel Cell SUV concept that appeared last month at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Technology from that model could certainly make its way into a future Genesis.

The layout of the GV80’s interior is best described as minimalist. The dashboard includes a 22-inch OLED screen, a digital instrument cluster for the driver, and precious few buttons and analog controls. The four-seat cabin still manages to include some form of infotainment for each occupant, though. Genesis’ designers used the lack of clutter to highlight upscale materials, including ash wood on the center console, and leather for the seats and instrument panel.

The GV80 concept won’t go into production, but something very similar probably will. Genesis has already discussed launching an SUV, something it definitely needs if it really wants to compete with established luxury brands. Hyundai is also planning a massive influx of green models, so it makes sense for Genesis to add some form of zero-emission vehicle in the future.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Audi halts vehicle deliveries to the U.S. as it mulls impact of tariffs

2021 Audi Q5

If you’d been thinking of buying an Audi, now might be the time. The German brand, owned by the Volkswagen Group, has announced it would halt shipments to the U.S. in the wake of President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on all imported vehicles.
Audi is currently holding cars that arrived after the tariffs took effect, on April 3, in U.S. ports. But it still has around 37,000 vehicles in its U.S. inventory, which should be able to meet demand for about two months, according to Reuters.
Automakers on average hold enough cars to meet U.S. demand for about three months, according to Cox Automotive.
Audi should be particularly affected by the tariffs: The Q5, its best-selling model in the U.S., is produced in Mexico, while other models, such as the A3, A4, and A6 are produced in Germany.
Holding shipments is obviously a temporary measure to buy time for Audi and parent company Volkswagen. If tariffs stay in place, vehicle prices would likely have to go up accordingly, unless some production is shifted to the U.S. Volkswagen already has a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is planning a new plant in South Carolina. That latter plant, however, isn’t expected to be operational until 2027 and is currently dedicated to building electric vehicles for VW’s Scout Motors brand.
Other global automakers have also taken drastic measures in response to Trump’s tariffs. Jaguar Land Rover on April 5 said it is pausing shipments of its its UK-made cars to the United States this month. The British sports-luxury vehicle maker noted that the U.S. market accounts for nearly a quarter of its global sales, led by the likes of Range Rover Sports, Defenders, and Jaguar F-PACE.
And on April 3, Nissan, the biggest Japanese vehicle exporter to the United States, announced it will stop taking new U.S. orders for two Mexican-built Infiniti SUVs, the QX50 and QX55.

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Waymo faces questions about its use of onboard cameras for AI training, ads targeting

Two people exit a Waymo taxi.

In an iconic scene from the 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, on-the-run Agent John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, struggles to walk through a mall as he’s targeted by a multitude of personalized ads from the likes of Lexus, Guinness and American Express, everytime hidden detectors identify his eyes.
It was clearly meant as a warning about a not-so-desirable dystopian future.
Yet, 23 years later that future is at least partlially here in the online world and threatens to spread to other areas of daily life which are increasingly ‘connected’, such as the inside of cars. And the new testing grounds, according to online security researcher Jane Manchun Wong, might very well be automated-driving vehicles, such as Waymo’s robotaxis.
On X, Wong unveiled an unreleased version of Waymo’s privacy policy that suggests the California-based company is preparing to use data from its robotaxis, including interior cameras, to train generative AI models and to offer targetted ads.
“Waymo may share data to improve and analyze its functionality and to tailor products, services, ads, and offers to your interests,” the Waymo’s unreleased privacy statement reads. “You can opt out of sharing your information with third parties, unless it’s necessary to the functioning of the service.”
Asked for comments about the unreleased app update, Waymo told The Verge that it contained “placeholder text that doesn’t accurately reflect the feature’s purpose”.
Waymo’s AI-models “are not designed to use this data to identify individual people, and there are no plans to use this data for targeted ads,” spokesperson Julia Ilina said.
Waymo’s robotaxis, which are operating on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, do contain onboard cameras that monitor riders. But Ilina says these are mainly used to train AI models for safety, finding lost items, check that in-car rules are followed, and to improve the service.
The new feature is still under development and offers riders an opportunity to opt out of data collection, Ilina says.
But as we all get used to ads targeting based on everything that’s somehow connected to the web, it seems a once-distant vision of the future may be just around the corner.

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Waymo’s driverless cars are about to begin an overseas adventure

Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous cars are about to appear on streets outside of the U.S. for the first time.

The company on Wednesday announced on social media that its autonomous cars will be driving onto the streets of Tokyo, Japan, “soon,” with some reports suggesting the rollout will begin as early as next week.