Seoul, South Korea – Hyundai Motor Corporation has received more than 1,000 pre-sale orders in South Korea for its Avante/Elantra LPI hybrid, the world’s first production hybrid electric vehicle powered by a liquefied petroleum injected (LPI) engine, which goes on sale next week. The report was provided by the Green Car Congress.

The hybrid uses a 1.6-litre LPI engine, 15 kW pancake-type permanent magnet synchronous motor, and continuously variable transmission (CVT). It produces 99 g/km of CO2 and 90 per cent fewer emissions than an equivalent standard gasoline-powered Elantra, and qualifies as a Super Ultra Low Emission vehicle (SULEV).

The LPI, which is a mild hybrid, rates at 5.6 L/100 km on liquefied petroleum, which is a gasoline-equivalent fuel economy rating of 4.5 L/100 km. This represents a 47 per cent improvement over a conventional 1.6-litre Elantra.

The vehicle will be available only in the domestic market, where LPG cars are common and the fuel is half the price of gasoline. The company plans to sell as many as 8,000 in South Korea by the end of 2009.