Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors will release the nation’s first plug-in hybrid vehicles next year.
It also plans to release an electronic version of the Kia Soul in May and a mid-size EV as early as next year.
Hyundai said on Sunday that it will significantly increase its investment in this area as it bids to develop and roll out a range of eco-friendly models starting from 2015.
Hyundai’s new LF Sonata will be available with both a regular gasoline engine and hybrid system from March. It will release plug-in hybrids of its mid-size Sonata and K5 models next year, the first of their kind in the nation.