South Korea to produce plug-in hybrid vehicles

South Korea aims to produce indigenous plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in five years that can operate on batteries charged at home, government officials said. The ministry said the competitive contracts between the country’s largest carmaker and the three firms—LG Chem, SK Energy Co. and SB LiMotive—call for the development of two types of PHEV power units. LG and SK plan to make the 16 kilometer (km) battery while SB LiMotove and LG will make the 32 km type. For the shorter-range unit, Hyundai plans to select the company that has made the most efficient battery after three years and award it with development funds over two more years to produce a battery to be used in its cars from 2013. (November 25, 2008)