Hyundai Plans to Snatch Fuel-Efficiency Crown

The company's "Blue Drive" initiative unveiled on Wednesday at the Los Angeles International Auto Show leads with the announcement of the U.S. debut of a gas-electric hybrid engine in the 2010 Hyundai Sonata sedan. In 2009, high-mileage versions compact models Accent and Elantra will appear in dealerships.

The automaker also stated its aim to achieve a fleet fuel efficiency average in the U.S. of 35 miles per gallon by 2015, five years ahead of government requirements.

As part of the initiative Hyundai said it has given the green light for U.S. production to the previously shown Theta Turbo GDI engine. Hyundai says it is a 286 horsepower power plant which gets 30 highway miles per gallon and will appear in future models. A specific date for its debut has not been set.

The "Blue" push also includes already announced projects for alternative power cars. Officials at the company have previously said they think a fuel cell hybrid could be available by 2012 and a plug-in hybrid after 2013.

While Hyundai has been pursuing gasoline alternatives for its vehicles since the 1990s, in 2005 the company decided to concentrate its research and development at one facility in Mabuk, Korea in what it calls its Eco-Technology Research Institute. Now the company is giving its initiative a world-wide push.

"Hyundai aims to be the most fuel-efficient automaker on the planet," said John Krafcik, vice president, Product Development and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America.

"We're aligning our global R&D resources in Michigan, California, Nam Yang, and Frankfurt to develop the Blue Drive technologies we need to achieve our goal – a 35 mpg U.S. fleet average by 2015."

Hyundai says its own hybrid technology is at the center of the company's Blue Drive strategy. The hybrid system to debut in the Sonata features nine major components including a 2.4 liter engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW electric motor. Another feature includes a lithium polymer battery package which it says delivers the same power with less weight than nickel-metal hydride batteries and has advantages over Lithium-ion batteries.