Just last month, we published an article arguing that automakers entrenched in fuel cell hydrogen vehicles, like Hyundai, Toyota and Honda, appear to be succumbing to physics and finally warming up to battery-powered vehicles.

Now Hyundai is coming out saying that it is only temporary.

Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, announced that his company is developing a lineup of electric plug-in vehicles for the company’s new Genesis luxury brand. While talking with Auto News for the announcement, he added that the new plug-ins act as “an intermediate step before hydrogen fuel cell vehicles”. Auto News reports:

“The Hyundai and Genesis brands are working on multiple plug-in hybrids that will be an intermediate step before hydrogen fuel cell vehicles take hold in the coming decades, Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said in an interview.”

Sure. Keep telling yourself that. In most cases, a battery-powered vehicle is almost 3 times more efficient. The company was going in the right direction in bringing its Ioniq electric platform to market by the end of the year and announcing that it is developing a next generation battery-powered electric SUV.

And now the company is adding Genesis vehicles to its lineup of electric vehicles, though it’s not clear if they will all be plug-in hybrids or if the automaker will also offer an all-electric option like it does for the Ioniq platform.

Despite what Zuchowski is saying, it looks like Hyundai’s hydrogen programs, like the Tucson Fuel Cell, are a lot more timid than the automaker’s latest battery-powered efforts. Time will tell if the battery-powered option will only be temporary like the CEO said, or if their fuel cell programs will simply quietly be left behind.

Featured Image: 2017 Genesis G90

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