What was the first hybrid car launched by Hyundai and when was its release?
South Korean manufacturer Hyundai has launched its first hybrid car, a domestic-market-only sedan powered by liquid petroleum gas and lithium polymer batteries. Equipped with a 114-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine, the Avante LPI is based on its best-selling Avante (Elantra in the U.S.) compact. It has a starting price equal to $16,078 American dollars and averages 41.8 miles per gallon. That’s less than the fuel economy of the Honda and Toyota models with which it will compete, but the cost of LPG is half that of gasoline in South Korea. The manufacturer hopes to sell 7,500 Avante LPI sedans by the end of the year. Hyundai is the first hybrid manufacturer to combine LPG and lithium polymer batteries in its powerplants. The batteries are smaller and more powerful than the nickel metal hydride batteries now used by other major manufacturers. Hyundai says they will last 10 years or 150,000 miles. Meanwhile, Hyundai affiliate Kia is getting set to roll out a similarly powered hybrid in August
