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Following months of rumors, General Motors and Hyundai have officially announced plans for five co-developed vehicles. However, many of them are destined for Central and South America.
The companies were tight-lipped on specifics, but confirm plans for a compact car, a compact crossover, and a compact truck. There will also be a mid-size pickup, whose development will be led by GM. Hyundai will take the lead for the remaining vehicles and all of them will have the “flexibility to use either internal combustion or hybrid propulsion systems.”
More: GM And Hyundai Want To Make Cars Together, Sign Agreement To Explore Opportunities
The only model for North America is an electric commercial van. Rumors have suggested GM could get a version of the Hyundai ST1 or Kia PV5 to serve as a successor to the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.
If everything goes according to plan, the companies could sell more than 800,000 co-developed vehicles annually. The automakers added that while the vehicles will have a lot in common, each version will have “unique interiors and exteriors consistent with their respective brands.”
Design and development is already underway, and models built for Central and South America will be launched in 2028. The commercial van could arrive as early as 2028 and will be built in America.
Aside from new models, the companies are planning “joint sourcing initiatives in North and South America for materials, transport, and logistics.” They’re also eyeing other areas of collaboration including on raw materials, components, low-carbon emissions steel, and “complex systems.”
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said the “strategic collaboration with GM will help us continue to deliver value and choice to our customers across multiple vehicle segments and markets. Our combined scale in North and South America helps us to more efficiently provide our customers more of what they want – beautifully designed, high-quality, safety focused vehicles with technology they appreciate.”
Those sentiments were echoed by GM senior vice president Shilpan Amin, who said “By partnering together, GM and Hyundai will bring more choice to our customers faster, and at lower cost. These first co-developed vehicles clearly demonstrate how GM and Hyundai will leverage our complementary strengths and combined scale.”
In a glorified blog post, Amin said the commercial van will be a “smaller sibling” to the Chevrolet BrightDrop EVs. He added the partnership makes a lot of sense as the companies can reduce costs, streamline manufacturing, and launch new vehicles faster by teaming up.
Amin went on to say the collaboration will enable GM to broaden their lineup. This is a not so subtle hint that going alone on an electric commercial van wouldn’t make much sense, especially after BrightDrop’s dismal failure.
Of course, GM is no stranger to van collaborations as the company used to offer the Chevrolet City Express. It was a rebadged Nissan NV200, which saw lackluster demand and was discontinued in 2018.
Electric vehicles are evolving quickly, and in Brazil, their trajectory is shaped by more than environmental concerns. With crime and carjackings a part of daily life, demand for armored cars has surged, making Brazil home to the world’s largest civilian fleet of bulletproof vehicles. Even Toyota sells factory-armored Corollas and Hiluxes. Now, one of China’s rising EV brands is entering the market, armor and all.
More: Toyota Now Sells Bulletproof Corolla And Hilux Models In Brazil
It’s not been long since Zeekr burst onto the EV scene, quickly establishing itself as one of the most intriguing new carmakers from China. Alongside growing its local sales, it’s been rapidly expanding around the world, including South America, where a particularly interesting version of one of its EVs was recently spotted.
This particular Zeekr is an example of its first model, the 001. Launched a few years ago and updated in early 2024 with better range and more features, the 001 is a sleek estate that’s both luxurious and very, very quick in flagship FR guise. But this particular 001 isn’t grabbing headlines for speed or design.
An Electric Estate, Now with Ballistic Protection
Instead, this Zeekr 001 is believed to be the first armored example built. Recently spotted on the streets of Brazil, the blacked-out Zeekr looks completely normal from the outside. However, all of its panels have been armored, thick bulletproof windows have been added, and the panoramic glass roof has been strengthened.
While there’s no word on what company was responsible for the upgrades, the owner of this Zeekr must be quite important to justify the need to cruise around in a bulletproof EV. We don’t have any photos of the car’s undertray, but presumably, it too has been upgraded to ensure the battery pack can withstand any blasts from underneath.
Underpinning all 001 models is an 800-volt architecture with the option of a basic 95 kWh LFP battery and a larger 100 kW NMC pack. Entry-level models have a 416 hp electric motor driving the rear wheels, while all-wheel drive versions also add a 362 hp motor to the front axle. The flagship 001 FR lifts things to a new level, pumping out a combined 1,248 hp and 944 lb-ft (1,280 Nm), enough to send it to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.07 seconds.
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