Hyundai Motor has finalized a development project for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which it plans to roll out at home and abroad in 2013.
According to the automotive industry on Sunday, Hyundai recently succeeded in producing a prototype of the Sonata PHEV at its plant in Asan, South Chungcheong Province after three years of development. The vehicle is currently being tested confidentially.
A spokesperson for the automaker said, “Practically, full electric vehicles have a long way to go before commercialization due to short-distance driving and a lack of charging facilities. So we decided to commercialize a PHEV first.” It intends to use the PHEV as a stepping stone to rolling out electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, Hyundai launched its Sonata hybrid in the U.S. this year and will release it here next month. Its BlueOn electric car, which was released last year, is being supplied on a small scale to public agencies only.
