The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Has A Parent Friendly Feature That Every Vehicle Needs Right Now
Electric cars have a lot of redeeming qualities, but one of my favorites is how well they stand still. That’s not a joke about how they drive, most are great, but what you can do in them when they are parked.
I spend a lot of time sitting around parking lots. Oh, no, don’t worry, there’s nothing shady going on! I’m talking about waiting for my child at soccer practice or before a game starts, when it always seems to be cold and rainy or as hot as the sun that’s beaming down through the ubiquitous glass roof nearly every EV has.
If you want to run the heat or air conditioning in an internal combustion engine car, you also have to run the engine to keep the power going. Idling is literally illegal in many places and in others you might risk nasty stares and comments from those around you.
This isn’t an issue in an EV. You can leave the power on all night in many of them, no muss, no fuss and no concerns about fumes. Rivian’s vehicles have a Camp mode that encourages you to sleep in them.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE AMERICAN CARS AND RACING NEWSLETTER
Some hybrids will keep the power on for a short while, but not very long if you’re running the HVAC. They’ll keep kicking in the engine to give it a boost until they finally give up and just start running it.
The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid revealed at the New York International Auto Show takes this to a more useful level. It has a Stay mode that can be engaged on the way to your destination that gets its 1.65 kWh battery ready to power through a parking session. Its duration will vary, but Hyundai says you can get about an hour out of it if the battery is at a 70% to 80% state of charge when you begin.
I think I’d be willing to pay a little extra to get two hours guaranteed, but I’ll take what I can get. I’d expect this feature to trickle down to Hyundai’s (and hopefully its corporate cousin Kia’s) other hybrids in the coming years, but other automakers should follow suit. It’s about time parents got more power.
(The Gas Station is where American Cars And Racing Executive Editor Gary Gastelu vents his opinions. Feel free to let us know if you think they stink.)