What chance a Gas/hybrid Elantra for Australia?

LPG is a cheap and abundant fuel. Sure, it has its shortcomings, but many of those can be largely overcome (more here) and the government has just doubled the rebate for buyers of ex-factory LPG-equipped cars (more here).

Hyundai has announced that the company will introduce a new version of its Elantra small car, with single-fuel LPG induction for the internal combustion engine, which operates in a hybrid-drive system to maximise fuel efficiency and optimise running costs. We first brought you news of this vehicle back in July (more here).

For Hyundai, it's potentially the ultimate win-win situation; bring the eco-Elantra to Australia, price it about the same as a Honda Civic Hybrid or less, promote it to prospective buyers with the revelation that the government will send you a $2000 cheque in the mail after you've purchased the car -- and that will cover the cost of your fuel for at least the first 12 months or so...

And if that isn't enough to convince you, there's the fact it's cleaner for the environment -- and cleaner for your hands, if you're trading out of a diesel-engined car.

Unfortunately, the local arm of Hyundai faces an uphill battle to convince its parent that the car would be the ultimate promotional tool for the company and could also sell up a storm in the local market.

We discussed this vehicle with Oliver Mann, General Manager for Marketing at Hyundai Australia during the recent media launch of the upgraded Santa Fe and the new Grandeur CRDi.

"This is the car that is being launched in Korea around the middle of 2009?" he asked.

"At this stage, we put our request in. It's looking unlikely, but we're confident we will be commercialising some kind of [hybrid] in 2010."

What that suggests though, is a petrol/electric hybrid, not an LPG/electric hybrid. When the Carsales Network -- not to be deterred -- put it to Mann that an LPG/electric hybrid could be a sales sensation in Australia on the strength of its green credentials allied to its low running costs, he concurred.

"We agree completely. It's something we've been talking with Korea about. The vehicle is obviously being produced in left-hand drive. It's Hyundai's first commercialisation. At this stage, there aren't plans to export it -- which is disappointing for us."

So, no RHD versions available for export markets. Interestingly -- as well as South Korea -- the LPG/hybrid Elantra will be sold in China, a large-scale customer for Australian-supplied LPG.

"[The LPG/hybrid Elantra] is a left-hand drive project," admits Mann.

"Nevertheless, the existence of the Elantra LPI hybrid and the publicity that was stoked through its announcement -- particularly in Australia -- has strengthened our request within HMC [Hyundai Motor Company] and we'll be looking at something in 2010 calendar year."

Unfortunately, it's not by any means likely that the 2010 hybrid will necessarily be fuelled by LPG in lieu of petrol. There are engineering obstacles to overcome, conversion to RHD being one of those.

And just for the record, we did ask whether this LPG/electric hybrid technology had further applications other than in the case of the Elantra. For example, why not the mechanically similar i30 model?

"It is a bit too far in the future," said Mann, but he also expects to know more about Hyundai's future plans for this technology in about six months.

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