Hyundai plans to release its plug-in hybrid in 2013

The big news this week is that Hyundai will be selling a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) by the year 2013. The Hyundai PHEV will be released to compete with the Chevy Volt (if that’s still around then) and Toyota’s soon-to-be-released PHEV.

As a huge hybrid fanatic already, I can attest that the appeal and excitement of the “plug-in” is that it is far more fuel efficient than any of our current hybrids, and in an economy like today’s, PHEVs are the short-term solution to oil dependence and emissions reduction.

The futuristic Hyundai, which is set to be released three years after a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in 2010, is Hyundai’s all-out attempt to catch up with Japanese battery technology, which is leading, but not by an absurd amount. The 2010 release of the Sonata Hybrid marks Hyundai’s first ever hybrid offering, according to managers at a Hyundai dealer in Chicago, and now Hyundai is already announcing taking on the fuel-efficiency giants of Toyota and Honda in the PHEV race? I guess that’s what I should expect from a car company that has transformed itself into a major player from discount provider. Let’s not forget that a few years ago, if someone had said Hyundai would be making a luxury sedan that would win car of the year awards, we would have laughed and laughed. Playing David to the hybrid Goliaths won’t be easy, but if the Genesis sedan, Hyundai’s Assurance plus plan, and Hyundai’s top-of-the-line warranty have taught us anything, it’s that this company can really accomplish big things.

Hyundai says it not only wants to make hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars because they appeal to a new consumer segment and help increase their CAFE ratings, but they want to focus on green technology because it is the socially responsible thing to do.

And for most of us who are used to hearing of “going green,” Chicago Hyundai dealers explain that “Blue Drive” may have us seeing a new color when we think of eco-friendly vehicles. “Blue Drive” is the new system that is guiding hybrid Hyundai models, which, for us non-scientists, will be better for the earth. And who wouldn’t want that?