Hyundai Motor America announced today that it will be able to achieve a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2015, five years ahead of the timetable for new fuel economy regulations. The company revealed its fuel economy goals at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where it unveiled the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and described its plan for low-cost high-mpg options on other models.
Hyundai has not yet put a hybrid car on the market—and yet the company is throwing around big numbers for its hybrid program: an SUV that gets 38 miles to the gallon; a diesel minicar that beats 60 mpg; and 500,000 annual hybrid sales by 2018.
While the Toyota hybrid juggernaut marches on, and European automakers continue to lean on diesel to boost fuel economy, Hyundai is taking the simple low-cost route. That means improving powertrain efficiency and reducing weight.
After delaying its hybrid program for two years, Hyundai Motors announced that it will begin mass producing hybrid cars in 2009. The first model under the new initiative will be the Avante―sold as Elantra worldwide. The announcement indicates Hyundai's intent to resume its hybrid plans.
A hybrid version of the Hyundai Elantra, powered by lithium ion batteries, could arrive in the U.S. as early as 2010. But the lithium battery technology has not yet been proven safe, reliable and cost-effective.
All that sells does not a profit make. Not at first, anyway. But if you have a guaranteed market and a product that's in demand, it seems likely that profit will be forthcoming eventually.
