While
Toyota,
Honda and
Ford have dominated the
hybrid car market in North America, there are other car manufacturers who want to join the party.
The Korean
Hyundai Motor Group has launched two hybrid models in the US this year, hoping to capitalise on the popularity of fuel economic vehicles set against the constant increases in gas prices.
The
Sonata Hybrid is powered by a gasoline engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium ion polymer battery.
Hyundai’s affiliate company
Kia has also released the
Optima Hybrid in North America this year.
Hyundai purchased struggling firm
Kia in 1999.
In Korea, the two models went on sale with government tax incentives of about US $1,000. In the US, the models will have a ten year or 100,000 mile warranty on major parts. Both the
Optima and
Sonata hybrids carry a 2.4 litre engine, with six speed automatic transmission. In North America they retail between $26,000 and $31,000.
The
Sonata is a competitor to
Ford Fusion Hybrid and
Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Hyundai aimed to sell more than 11,000
Sonata hybrids in Korea during 2011, but did not disclose how many units it hoped to sell world-wide.
Kia is hoping to sell 6,000 units of the
Optima Hybrid overseas in 2012 and 10,000 more in Korea.
Hyundai also plans to keep up with
Toyota by offering a plug-in
hybrid in a year or two; something that
Honda has yet to do, but has announced plans for in 2012.
Combined,
Hyundai and
Kia have the fifth largest car sales in the world. They aim to sell 10 per cent more units by the end of 2011 compared to 2010. They took 8.1 per cent of the global market in 2010.