Hyundai's Surprising Electric-Car Gambit

By John Rosevear – May 31, 2013 at 2:00PM

OTC: HYMTF

Hyundai Motor

Market Cap

$2B

Today's Change

(3.44%) $1.89

Current Price

$56.89

Price as of April 24, 2024, 12:01 p.m. ET

Korea's auto giant hasn't been much of a player in hybrids or electric cars. But it's seeking to change that with a bold move that could allow it to leap ahead of the whole industry.

Hyundai (HYMTF 3.44%) hasn't been much of a player in the green-car wars. It offers a hybrid version of its Sonata sedan, but it's just so-so -- not up to the standard set by class leaders Toyota (TM 1.07%) and Ford (F 0.08%), say reviewers.

But Hyundai is looking past hybrids, and past battery-powered electrics -- and could be poised to leap to the fore of the field with the first-ever, mass-produced, fuel-cell vehicle. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at Hyundai's surprising plans for a fuel-cell-powered electric SUV -- one that the company hopes to be selling in a big way in just a couple of years.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. Follow him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.