ABSTRACT
The most prominent Korean carmaker, the Hyundai–Kia Automotive Group (hereinafter referred to as Hyundai) became the seventh automaker in the world to launch a mass-production hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) in 2009. This is more than 12 years after the launch of the first HEV by the Japanese company Toyota in 1997. However, Hyundai is now aiming to become one of the first to massproduce an electric vehicle (EV). It has recently announced that its first EV will begin sales sometime in 2011, significantly closing the gap with the current front-runner of EV – the Japanese company Nissan – which began its sales of EV Leaf in the United States and Japan in December 2010.
