Hyundai Launches World's First LPG-Powered Hybrid, the 41.9-MPG Elanta LPI HEV
By Scott Doggett July 13, 2009
Five weeks after it began taking pre-launch orders
for its first hybrid-electric vehicle at dealerships throughout South Korea, Hyundai began selling the Elantra LPI HEV in its domestic market.
The vehicle features lithium-polymer batteries and is powered by an internal combustion engine modified to run on liquid petroleum gas (or LPG, consisting chiefly of propane).
The LPI HEV part of its name stands for liquefied petroleum-injected hybrid electric vehicle. The engine modification is a result of LPG being much cheaper to purchase in South Korea than gasoline.
Like the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid, which debuted at the Seoul Motor Show, the Elantra LPI HEV features a 114-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder LPI engine mated with a 20-horsepower, 15-kilowatt electric motor.
To maximize its fuel efficiency, which is rated at 41.9 miles per gallon, the Elantra features an automatic engine start/stop system and a "coach" that offers eco-driving tips via the instrument cluster.
The car also boasts a function that "maximizes fuel efficiency by reducing sharp fluctuations in the torque, increasing the use of electric-motor assist and electric charge regeneration when brakes are applied," the automaker said in a statement.
Three different trim levels will be offered, with pricing starting at $16,180. Hyundai hopes to sell at least 7,500 of the vehicles this year, but there are currently no plans for exports.
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