Hyundai to Focus Eco-Friendly Car Sales as Regulations Tighten

Hyundai Motor and its small affiliate Kia Motors Corp. will look to push sales of environment-friendly cars as part of efforts by the South Korean automakers to satisfy significantly stringent worldwide emission requirements and fuel economy requirements.

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong Koo, who administered over a meeting of executives heading abroad offices, guided them to broaden production and sales of such cars worldwide, according to an e-mailed statement. Hyundai plans to present its Ioniq gasoline-electric hybrid in the U.S. and Europe, after beginning sales in January in South Korea. Kia prepares to offer the Niro hybrid in the U.S., Europe and China.

Chung’s push for environmentally friendly cars comes as Tesla Motor Inc. gets ready for its launching in South Korea, where such models comprise less than 1 percent of 21 million cars.

Automakers are broadening their lineup of alternative-energy automobiles with business such as Toyota Motor Corp. as they come under pressure to improve fuel economy and fulfill increasingly rigid emission rules.

“We need to broaden environment-friendly automobile lineup and enhance sales, production abilities to lead the environmentally friendly automobile market,” Chung, who heads both Hyundai and Kia, stated.

Hyundai and Kia have actually said they prepare to have 28 eco-friendly cars in their lineups by the end of the decade, consisting of electric cars and hybrids.

The automaker will speed up the introduction of its Genesis luxury brand name worldwide, according to the statement. Hyundai spun off its luxury marque into a standalone brand name as it seeks to move high end and compete against the similar Toyota’s Lexus.

Hyundai prepares to start sales of the G80 mid-sized sedan and the larger G90 sedan in the United States this year, while the G90 is going to be introduced in the Middle East, the automakre stated without giving a time frame.