The Porsche 959 seen outside The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, London. 

Some of the most useful technologies in modern production cars can be traced back to its use in more expensive high-performance cars. 

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Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), for instance, are helpful in recognizing when a bad tire needs to be replaced on your daily cruiser, but it was first used in the ultra-rare Porsche 959 – a car that not only also came standard with the one of the world’s first run-flat tires.

As innovative tech from the world of high-end sports cars trickles down into everyday commuter cars, Hyundai  (HYMLF) – Get Free Report is adopting a novel technology to make its EVs more efficient. 

Hyundai’s “Active Skirt”

In a statement on Jan. 22, the South Korean automaker said that it plans to incorporate something it calls the Active Air Skirt (AAS), a device designed to enhance the aerodynamics of its electric cars. 

Demonstrated on the Genesis brand’s GV60, the “skirts” is made up of two retracting flaps that extend out underneath the front bumpers to partially cover the front wheels while the vehicle is at speed. 

With the flaps deploying at speeds higher than 50 mph, its purpose is to direct air flow around the tires, creating less drag and making the car more aerodynamic. Hyundai credits the AAS for a drag coefficient reduction of 0.008, a 2.8% increase in downforce and an increase in range by about four miles.

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Additionally, the automaker says that the increase in downforce as a result of the skirts also help to improve the vehicle’s traction and high speed stability. 

“This technology is expected to have a greater effect on models such as SUVs where it is difficult to improve aerodynamic performance,” Hyundai Motor Group Vice President and Mobility Body Development Group Head Sun Hyung Cho said. “We will continue to strive to improve the driving performance and stability of electric vehicles through improvements in aerodynamics.”

Sports Car Tech for EVs:

Active aerodynamic technology has been a trick feature in many high performance road cars over the years. For example, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio incorporates what it calls an “active aero splitter,” which retracts from the bumper at 60 mph to give the car more downforce.

Additionally, the Porsche 911 Turbo S incorporates an “active” front spoiler as part of its suite of active aerodynamics, which tweaks specific “active” components adapt to different modes of everyday and spirited, high-performance driving. 

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Hyundai Motor and Kia says that they applied for related patents both in South Korea and in the United States for this technology and that mass production will be considered after further testing. 

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