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Hyundai Now Testing Eco Friendly Hybrids October 2004Hyundai has a hybrid. The South Korean automaker recently sent its first fleet of eco-friendly hybrid cars out into the streets in its home country.Hyundai has manufactured a hybrid version of its Click compact that runs a size smaller than the Accent. The model is not sold in the United States. A fleet of 50 of the fuel-efficient gas- and electric-powered vehicles are in use by a bureau of the South Korean government to test the new cars in the real world. The Click hybrid is not yet commercially available, but it may be soon -- at least in South Korea. The use of the vehicles as government fleet cars is an ideal testing situation, said Chris Hosford, a spokesman for Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley, Calif. The cars will get a lot of use in a relatively short time, and they will do so in a relatively controlled environment, so the company can get feedback on the cars quickly. Hosford said the South Korean government, eager to encourage technological developments that could save on fuel and reduce emissions, is supportive of Hyundai's hybrid effort. If the testing goes well, Hyundai could place the hybrids on the commercial market in South Korea as early as late 2005, according to Hosford. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Co., its South Korean parent, are looking at U.S.-sold vehicle models that could be manufactured as hybrids down the line, Hosford said. The companies are examining costs, demand, engineering and other issues involved in a possible U.S. introduction. As yet, there are no specific plans or timeline for manufacturing a hybrid model for the U.S. market, but "we're looking at it very seriously," Hosford said. In the meantime, Hyundai has its new Tucson to market in the United States. The new sport-utility vehicle, the seventh Hyundai model available here, hit showrooms this fall as a smaller alternative to the Santa Fe. Hosford said about 300 of the vehicles have sold so far. While Hyundai quietly prepares its new Montgomery manufacturing facility for the start of commercial production in the spring, the carmaker has begun work on another new car plant in Zilina, Slovakia. The company announced earlier this year its plan to build a plant in Slovakia, after the formerly Communist nation beat out Poland and other nearby countries for the lucrative deal. Construction began more than a week ago on the plant, which Hyundai will use to build Kia cars for the European market. According to a Kia news release earlier this year, the new plant eventually will employ an estimated 2,800 people and produce 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles. Kia Motors Corp., a sister company to Hyundai, has manufacturing and assembly operations in a dozen countries and employs about 30,000 people worldwide. New Kia models are scheduled to roll off the assembly line in Slovakia by the end of 2006. Last year, Kia sold 150,000 vehicles in Europe. For Kia, the plant will help increase its presence in the European market, part of its larger goal to move up in the ranks of global automakers into a spot among the top five. SOURCE: Montgomery Advertiser | ||
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