Hyundai Hybrid News Post

[SuperGLS]

From KiaBlog:

Hyundai, Kia Planning LPG Hybrids for 2009

Hyundai Motor said on Sunday that it will release an LPG hybrid in 2009. The Avante LPG Hybrid will combine an LPG engine with an electric motor in the popular midsize sedan. It will be the first Korean hybrid car for consumers. After Hyundai, Kia will release a similar model to the market.

Hyundai reckons the car will use only 30 percent of the fuel consumed by the existing Avante since it will have an estimated fuel efficiency of 19 to 20 km per liter and run on LPG, which costs half the price of gasoline. Production of Hyundai's hybrid versions of the Verna and the Pride, test models of which are currently being used by the government, will be suspended in 2008.

"We plan to release an LPG hybrid before a gasoline hybrid because there are sufficient LPG fuel facilities and we have the advanced technology. A gasoline hybrid will be released by 2010," a Hyundai Motor official said.

Another reason Hyundai wants to release the LPG version first is to beat out Japanese competitors. If Japanese hybrids outsell Korean hybrids, the Japanese brands will become top beneficiaries of benefits from the Korean government, and the government's plan to boost domestic production of eco-friendly cars could backfire with a rapid increase in sales of Japanese hybrids. The benefits include government subsidies, which would reduce the price of a Honda Civic Hybrid from W33.9 million (US$1=W928) to less than W30 million.

Vice Environment Minister Lee Kyu-yong released a plan on May 7 that will grant incentives like tax breaks and subsidies for hybrid cars.

But the introduction of LPG hybrid cars will require a change in local regulations that restrict LPG vehicles to rental cars and cars for the handicapped. The government is reviewing ways to temporarily allow LPG hybrids to be purchased by normal customers.

Hyundai Motor will begin mass producing hybrids in 2009, with an aim to gradually increase production to 20,000 units by 2010, 100,000 by 2012, and 300,000 by 2015.

Two hybrid cars are currently officially available in Korea, the Lexus RX400h and the Honda Civic Hybrid.

Interesting to say the least. That seems like it'll be Korea only.

[kylemorg]

Darn. There's a gas station local to me that sells LPG for all of the UPS trucks and power company vehicles about 4 mi. from my house. It'd be great to have an LPG vehicle to use it with.

Of course, using LPG could make road trips a b!^(h, though, trying to find a station that had LPG...

[KeWLKaT]

I've never seen a LPG station, I wonder how they work... Is it self-serve or not? lol

[kylemorg]

I've never seen a LPG station, I wonder how they work... Is it self-serve or not? lol

At the local station near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the LPG "pump" is self-service. The dispenser nozzle locks into the tank inlet with some sort of quick disconnect pressure fitting, then you use the LPG dispenser just like you would a self-serve gas pump.

They have regular gas and diesel at the same station -- the LPG dispenser is just in one of the rows right next to them.

[Ugzz]

never seen it either. but then again.. ive never looked!

i dont really even know what lpg is, never realy looked it up. might have to now :D
*edit
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a mixture of propane and butane

there we go :)

[babot]

If we, Elantra 2.0L gas engine drivers, drive Elantra LPG, we may feel that the car is handicapped..

LPGs are so low-powered. And it has some issues with winters. I really hated when I rented an LPG powered car in Korea. It felt as if half of cylinders were not working..



The benefits include government subsidies, which would reduce the price of a Honda Civic Hybrid from W33.9 million (US$1=W928) to less than W30 million.

However, I don't agree with this. Even normal gas powered Civic is about MSRP W29 million in Korea. (damm import dealers. it's not Civic Si. It's only a Civic.) No way for a Civic hybrid to be under W30 million. :( Dealers will increase the price if there are enough (direct) subsides to make Civic hybrid cheaper than Civic.

[Ugzz]

cars are expensive over there... ouch

[babot]

cars are expensive over there... ouch

Yeah.. except for the domestic makers (Hyundai, Kia, GM-Daewoo, Renault-Samsung). Because car importing tax is only 7% in Korea (which is going to be 0% with US soon), I think the dealers are to be blamed. Some cars have price tags with double price (compared to US) and the dealers say it's because they have 'Full Option' and 'Import Tax'(it's only 7%!). :mad:

[Ugzz]

like the civic you mean? lol with that conversion its rediculous! the low end is only 15 and change here!

i dont really get the import of civic there for the price :P if i was in korea and driving an import cause it was more $$ and i wanted the status it would have to be american muscle hehe

[babot]

Haha.. yes.. it's rediculous.. So, I once planned to buy STI or EVO in US before I get back to Korea. But I screwed the plan as my scholarship was suspended in the middle of saving the fund for STI/EVO (suspended when the fund could afford an Si.). I'm gonna ship my XD back to Korea when I return there after getting the degree and I'll keep my XD until Korea and Japan get FTA and Subaru/Mitsu provide 'reasonable' prices. :)

[slyderdai]

Stole this from HP and thought it was very interesting.

http://jalopnik.com/assets/resources/2008/07/2009-Hyundai-Elantra.jpg

Hyundai Motor Company plans to start retail sales of its first LPG-electric hybrid vehicle in July 2009. To be sold initially in the Korean domestic market under the Avante badge, the Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is the world's first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly) batteries.

Powered by a Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) Gamma engine displacing 1.6 litres, a 15kW electric motor and a continuously variable transmission, the Elantra LPI HEV is a mild-type hybrid capable of delivering a competitive fuel economy rating.

"The Elantra LPI HEV demonstrates Hyundai's innovative approach: We have leveraged Hyundai's world leadership in LPG-fueled vehicles to develop a hybrid that will be very economical to operate," said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, president of the Research and Development Division.

Comparing operating costs among different types of hybrid vehicles currently available in the marketplace, the Elantra LPI HEV promises to be the cheapest of all to run. The Elantra LPI HEV promises to be as much as 40 percent cheaper to operate than other competitor models in the marketplace and 50 percent less than a conventional Elantra model powered by a gasoline-only engine. (Calculations are based on Korean domestic retail price of 1,907.08 KRW per liter of gasoline and LPG price of 1,828.65 KRW per kilogram as of the first week of June).

The Elantra LPI HEV will have a premium cost compared to a conventional Elantra due to the extra hardware (Li-Poly battery, DC motor and electrical control system). However, with the resulting fuel savings, Elantra LPI HEV buyers can expect to recover the extra cost of the vehicle in about two years.

In addition, the Elantra LPI HEV emits just 103g/km of CO2 and 90 percent fewer emissions than an equivalent standard gasoline-powered Elantra to qualify as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV).

The Elantra LPI HEV will be the first car in the world to use lithium polymer rechargeable batteries, which will be supplied solely by LG Chem*, one of the leading producers of the batteries. Li-poly batteries have significant advantages over lithium-ion batteries including higher energy density, lower manufacturing costs, being more robust to physical damage and they can also take more charge-discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade.

Hyundai developed its very first hybrid electric vehicle in 1995 when it unveiled the Future Green Vehicle at the Seoul Motor Show. In 1999, it showed an Elantra HEV and in 2000, an Accent HEV, both of which featured hard-type parallel electric drive systems and integrated Starter Generator technology. However, these research development vehicles did not go into mass production.

In 2004, the company delivered 50 Getz gas-electric hybrid vehicles (B-segment vehicles badged as Hyundai Click in the Korean domestic market) to Korean government agencies as part of a fleet demonstration project. These were mild-type hybrid systems using 12kW motors and nickel metal hydride batteries. The hybrid technology development program continued to expand and in 2005, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. delivered 350 more units to the demonstration fleet, 730 more units in 2006 and 1,682 more units in 2007, including Accent HEVs.

Current plants call for expanding the hybrid vehicle line-up to include mid-sized sedans in 2010.

Initial sales of the Elantra LPI HEV are to be restricted to the Korean domestic market. However, the LPI Hybrid could be exported to markets which are served by an excellent LPG distribution infrastructure.

As the Elantra LPI HEV remains under development, more detailed technical specifications will be released closer to the July 2009 launch date.

[SuperGLS]

Derek, I've merged this with the existing thread.

[slyderdai]

Damn I should have searched first! lol

[SuperGLS]

It's all good. Before anyone asks, the car pictured is the Chinese HD. Search for other threads on it.

[Pete03GLS]

lpg... isnt that wat forklifts run on?? or am i thinking of something else?

[03GT]

We have LPG all over the place here.. But when you get in to rural areas, you usually see lots of LPG. LPG is about $1.00-$1.50/gal cheaper than gasoline.. As for the "fill up", an attendant has to do it. I've never had an LP car filled up but lots of tanks for my camper and BBQ. Any gasoline car can be converted to LPG, relatively inexpensively. If they do this, I hope, hope they do it right and make the LP engine a "flex fuel" so that it could burn Gasoline, Ethanol or LP. I don't think it'd be that hard to do. Like others have mentioned, it'd be a real sh!tter to need LP and not have it near by.

lpg... isnt that wat forklifts run on?? or am i thinking of something else?

Some forklifts.. some also are electric. But yes, were talking about Liquid Propane.