Hyundai to mass produce hybrids next year

First a supercar, then a hybrid. Korean automaker Hyundai has announced that it will begin to mass produce hybrid cars next year to cater to the environmentally conscious market, and to get itself into the list of top five automakers.

The Hyundai ‘Avante’ will arrive by the middle of next year and will be followed by a midsize hybrid model in 2010 and eventually a fuel-cell model in 2012.

Daily Telegraph reports that Hyundai is predicting a large increases in demand for the green vehicles as consumers turn to fuel-efficient cars.

The hybrid market is dominated by Toyota’s Prius and by mass-producing hybrids, the scales of economies might give Hyundai an edge over the others. But all this will depend on the pricing of the Avante, which is unknown at the moment.

With other car manufacturers showing interest in alternate fuel vehicles, Hyundai’s entry was expected for a long time. A low-cost fuel cell car might just do the trick for them, but for now all eyes are on the Avante which is all set to give Toyota and Honda, a run for their money.