Korean chaebol and world?s fifth largest auto manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) is planning to introduce fuel cell vehicles such as hybrid, hydrogen and fossil-powered models in India and is also planning to set up a recycling plant on the lines of Korea. The company is also planning to introduce a small car – one up above the Tata’s Nano – and make India the small-car hub in the world, said Seok-San Jang, senior vice-president, international business operations, Hyundai Motor Company.
Addressing a multi-disciplinary team from India, including journalists at the company’s global headquarters in Seoul, Jang said: “the global auto makers are grappling with alternate fuel solutions due to ever-increasing fuel prices as well as to meet the environmental norms. We are working on the fuel cell technologies, including on hybrid, hydrogen, bio and fossil fuels among other things. We hope to come out with hybrid vehicles in 2009.”
“India will become the hub of small cars in the world and we plan to introduce the fuel cell technologies in our small car projects in India. Based on Indian policies, Hyundai will decide what kind of technology can be used for the country,” he said. He said, “the company is planning to introduce hybrid technology initially in Accent, Elantra, Sonata cars which will be subsequently introduced in small cars.”
Confirming the company’s plans to introduce a small car – one up above the Tata’s forthcoming Nano – in India in due course of time, Jang said: “India is very important for HMC and its role in the global arena is to only increase further. It is important because it gives us competitive edge in the global markets due to cost and skill sets advantage.” According to him, the company may also consider setting up of a recycling plant in India where one can bring the old vehicles to dismantle it and brought back to make new vehicles. “It is very expensive proposal but we may consider for India at a later stage,” he added. Currently, HMC has one such recycling plant in Korea, which was set up in 2005.
Earlier, addressing the Indian team, Oles Roman Gadacz, director, international business division, HMC, said the group has moved up from 11th rank in 1999 to 5th rank according to just released global automotive data. “The contribution from global sales (including country sales and exports of overseas plants) to our overall sales has substantially gone up to 77%, thanks to the superior brand, high quality, increased dealers network and superior products. The plants in India, Turkey, the US, Russia, China and exports from some of these countries to the Middle East, Africa and other countries have seen tremendous growth in the last four years and we hope to capitalise on the same through new products, brand promotion and enhanced dealers network in the years to come,” he said.
?The travel for this story was sponsored by Hyundai Motor India Limited