• Recommended Sites

    Hybrid SUV
    Used Hybrid Cars
    Used Hybrid Suvs
    What's a Hybrid?
    How Hybrid Cars Work
    Hybrid Car History
    Hybrid Trucks
    Hybrid Kingdom
    Hybrid Semi Trucks
    Hybrids
    Hybrid Minivans
    Hybrid Buses
    Used Hybrids
    Hybrid Pickups
    Used Hybrid RVs
    Hydrogen Powered Cars
    Hybrid Batteries
    Calculate Cost Per Mile
    PHEV Information
    Compare MPG 2009 Cars
    Battery Powered Cars
    Hybrid Electric Vehicles
  • New Hybrid Quick Quote!

    Locate the Car You Want at the Price You Want

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Coming in 2010

2010 Hybrid Hyundai SonataHyundai Going Green.

It’s no secret that the hybrid car market is heating up these days. Consumers have to be wait-listed for the privilege of owning some breeds of the green vehicle and auto manufacturers can barely keep up with demand. The technology of it all is brimming with possibilities and each month brings a new advance in the quest for a cleaner, more efficient vehicle.

Hyundai has, for the past few years, sat back and observed the hybrid race as other auto giants compete for sales. Now, it seems the time is right for Hyundai to finally join the fray. Starting with a hybrid version of the best-selling sedan, the Sonata in 2010, Hyundai is hoping to offer something unique to the U.S. hybrid market.

The hybrid Sonata will feature a lithium-ion battery, similar to the ones currently used in cell phones and laptops and the one that will power Chevy’s plug-in hybrid to be released in 2010, the Volt.  This will make the Sonata hybrid the first mass-produced vehicle to feature the lithium-ion battery, which some say is more efficient. A lot will depend on how quickly this battery technology can be readied, and then upon availability.

Hyundai plans to roll the car out at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November and have the car for sale in lots by 2010. Though the car will feature the same battery as the Chevy Volt, the technology that runs the car will be different. While the Chevy is a plug-in hybrid, the Sonata hybrid will run on a parallel hybrid system. An electric motor and gas-burning engine will work in concert to increase fuel economy.

Once the Sonata enters the market, further increasing competition and encouraging all auto-makers to do something really different, Hyundai plans to keep up much better than they have in the decade since the first hybrid rolled off the lot.  Hyundai’s chief technology officer Lee Hyun-soon has said that Hyundai hopes to release a plug-in hybrid of its own soon after 2013.  Hyundai already has deals with several battery and technology firms, including LG Chem, SK Energy and SB LiMotive to develop high-quality batteries that will allow a Hyundia plug-in to surpass the efficiency of the Chevy model.

I myself am quite partial to Hyundais, and if this is successful I would expect them to follow with a hybrid Accent, Elantra, Tucson or Santa Fe next.  Seeing all this news, though, I wonder if I would jump at their first hybrid or wait for their plug-in model in 2013. Definitely worth watching. Still no word on this cars price, but with the 2009 Sonata between $19,000 and $25,000 I’d have to guess the hybrid version might have an MSRP approaching $30,000. Gas mileage is also being kept under wraps, but if the Korean manufacturer can muster a 25% improvement, expect it to average over 30 mpg.

There Is 1 Response So Far. »

  1. […] another player in the hybrid vehicle race, so we will keep you updated on what we hear from them (a hybrid Hyundai Sonata is planned for 2010 or 2011 as […]

Post a Response