The two concepts are studio mock-ups for now, but development is underway. Hyundai is responsible for the design and development, while TVS would be responsible for manufacturing and marketing the E3W. The E4W is still in exploratory stages, and Hyundai is reviewing its global potential.
About the concepts
Images suggest that Hyundai will use the same base platform for the E3W and the E4W. That is ambitious engineering, as the E3W would likely have a much lower desired cost base.
Here is what we could make out from the images and the press release:
- It seems that Hyundai started the development of the E3W first, as the E4W is still under review.
- The E3W mock-up has some sort of multi-link front suspension.
- They have elongated the wheelbase for the E4W exploration.
- It seems that there is a floorboard-mounted battery pack.
- The rakish windscreen has no curves.
- Hyundai mentions that the vehicles have enhanced crash protection, i.e. better than the 3Ws on the road.
- The E3W has a height-adjustable body to navigate waterlogged streets.
- Hyundai is reviewing the use of heat-reducing gloss black paint on the roof to lower interior heat conductivity and exploring water-resistant materials for the interior surfaces.
- The interior has adaptable storage solutions, a slim cluster information display, a dedicated phone holder, and pegboard-inspired panels that can be adjusted for convenience, hygiene, and safety.
Obviously, these are studio mock-ups, and a lot will change in the production vehicle.
Impact
The Hyundai-TVS proposed JV is notable as, till now, mainstream car manufacturers have stayed away from micro-mobility, leaving the quadricycles and three-wheelers to specialized manufacturers. The European quadricycle industry, like the continent’s two-wheeler industry, is arguably weak and vulnerable. One of the biggest manufacturers, Aixam, is owned by American-based Polaris Industries. A behemoth like Hyundai throwing its mighty marketing muscle behind E4Ws would be bad news for everyone else.
On the E3W side, things are different. The Indian market appears fragmented with many players, but in reality, Bajaj Auto controls 66% of the ICE 3W market, with TVS, Piaggio, and Mahindra as the other prominent players. With everyone planning to move to E3Ws, there are a large number of startups all clamoring for the same pie. However, Bajaj Auto’s dominance is undeniable. In such a market, a big JV like Hyundai-TVS would be a big problem for small start-ups and some source of concern for Bajaj Auto.
From the product perspective, the Indian market E3Ws all look the same, give or take a few rivets and creases. In comparison, the Hyundai concept is futuristic, which may be too polarising for a market like India.