Not a week after Hyundai announced its plans to launch the i10-based BlueOn electric subcompact in 2012, the South Korean manufacturer has announced its plans to launch another all-electric vehicle by the end of 2011.
The new EV is said to be based on a small cross utility vehicle (CUV) that Hyundai will be launching in September next year. Soon after, Hyundai plans to launch an electric version of the model in December 2011.
A spokesperson said "There is a high possibility that the CUV model will be sold to the general customers starting in 2013", hitting the market a year after the BlueOn. The small crossover is likely to fit into the range below the ix35/Tucson and will share a platform with Hyundai's partner Kia. The EV version should have an 80 mile range, just short of the BlueOn's 85 mile range. Details of the battery pack and electric motor have not yet been released. As with the BlueOn, Hyundai has not yet confirmed which markets the vehicle will first be sold in.
The news follows Toyota and Tesla's confirmation that their first collaboration will be on an electric version of the RAV4, set to debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
The new Hyundai will be another step towards the manufacturer and South Korea's intentions to be at the forefront of EV development.
[Reuters]
