Tucson hybrid testing?

[hjr]

Hyundai Plans Mass Hybrid Production for Korea, U.S.

By Vince Courtenay

WardsAuto.com, Jun 29 2004

U.S. engineers currently are migrating fuel-cell technology from the Santa Fe cross/utility vehicle test program to the Tuscon and expect to produce several hundred fuel-cell equipped Tuscons within the next year for fleet testing.

[hjr]

I wonder Hyundai will ever make a battery/gas hybrid until fuel cells fueling stations are abundant, and the technology is better?

[eCkS]

i found this story over at autoasia.... it;s little more detailed... which is good...

Hyundai will introduce the country's first mass-produced car with a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain late next year. An assembly line designed to turn out 10,000 units per year will be running

South Korea's largest carmaker said the move was part of a plan to reduce the technology and development gap between front-runners – namely Toyota and Honda (which has just unveiled a production hybrid Camry) – and the rest in the hybrid car arena.
At least one trillion won will be spent developing environmentally friendly vehicles, including hybrid electric cars, fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles, by 2007.

The human capital required to fuel such a programme of research is formidable, and Hyundai will increase the number of people working on alternative-fuel powertrains and related technologies to 10,000 from 6,200.

Hyundai said it would also produce a pilot model of a Click compact hybrid electric vehicle in October and supply it to the Ministry of Environment as an official vehicle. As many as 200 cars would be produced and used for regional police headquarters and post offices.

that's cool the Click HYbrid...i wonder... will it have minor exterior changes like honda did with it's civic???

[Brian Gluckman]

"and supply it to the Ministry of Environment"

I like how Hyundai is rooting itself with good causes. They are GUARANTEED a bright future. If surviving the Korean Market problems in 2000, AND debuting several models that year is any testament, I would say they are a very SMART automaker.