GM Daewoo, Korea's No.3 carmaker, recently unveiled its hybrid sport utility vehicle and fuel cell car challenging its larger rival Hyundai Motor for the nation's alternative fuel car market.
GM Daewoo. introduced a hybrid version of its new sports utility vehicle, tentatively named S3X, and the Detroit-based parent company's latest fuel-cell car, Hy-Wire. The hybrid SUV is to be in the domestic market by 2007.
Hybrid projects are gaining attention in Korea amid mounting concerns over the rising oil prices. Korea is the world's fourth largest consummer of crude oil. The government plans to offer a tax break on home-grown hybrid cars beginning in 2008. But so far, Hyundai Motor and GM Daewoo, are the only Korean automakers with hybrids in their product pipelines.
In early October, Hyundai Motor, Korea's largest carmaker, delivered its hybrid version of Click mini cars to the Ministry of Environment for testing.
Hyundai officials have scheduled a 2007 market launch.
Hyundai developed all the needed technologies for its hybrid. In contrast, GM Daewoo will mainly use its parent company's engineering resources to launch the alternative-fuel system vehicle. For instance, S3X's hybrid engine was developed by GM engineers in the United States and modified by Daewoo staff in Korea.
Another difference between the two local hybrid developers is the product focus. While Hyundai plans to introduce hybrid versions of minicar and compacts, GM Daewoo will mainly concentrate on SUVs and bigger sedans for the new segment.
Hyundai is also working to develop hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. In April, the carmaker joined the U.S. government's project to test its hydrogen-fueled sport utility vehicles. Hyundai officials expect fuel-cell cars to be commercialized around 2010.
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