Hyundai's first hybrid car gets over 1,000 orders

The patent on the drivetrain arangement that Toyota uses was filed in 1970 by TRW, and they still hold it (I understand Toyota pays a royalty, but it probably isn't much)

As stated before, it's the Elantra here, and is fully certified. These days most "world" cars are certified for everywhere and are about the same in all markets.

Computers are cheap, and if you don't want to recover development costs, software is cheap (it's a one-time, non-recuring cost, since the cost to replicate the software load in car after car is virtually free). Asian car manufacturers have a reputation of subsidising costs to take over markets. I seem to remember Toyota in trouble in the 1970's for selling cars cheaper in the US to gain market share, and higher in Japan and other Asian markets to subsidize the cheap sales here.

 

Here is a photo of the new Hyundai hybrid. Click on the link below for more photos.

Go to this link and buy stuff from their advertisers:
Toyota Motor Corp. - Yahoo! News Photos