You gloss over “liquified petroleum gas” as if we can get it at any neighborhood gas station! What is it? What are the benefits? Is there even a single filling station in the US?

More information, please! Lots more!

Good questions Don. Basically, LPG is a cleaner burning form of petroleum gas already fairly common in cars in Europe and Asia. It is becoming more common here. For more information, I recommend these sites: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/lpg.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_petroleum_gas http://auto.howstuffworks.com/lpg4.htm

Lori is right on the money with those sites for more info and Don,  I’ve also forwarded your questions directly to Hyundai to see if they might have further insight to share with us.  Will let you know when I hear back.  Thanks!

“I can tell you that this car will be officially known as the Elantra Liquefied Petroleum Injected Hybrid Electric Vehicle”

Actually, in Korea, it’ll be called an Avante, not an Elantra.

DonB, this is what I heard back from Chris Hosford, VP of Corporate Communications for Hyundai in the U.S. on LPG:
“Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is very common in some countries, including Korea, and easily available in those countries for fueling vehicles.  LPG also burns much cleaner than gasoline, so that too helps to reduce greenhouse gases.  Thus, a hybrid engine running partially on LPG is great for Korea, where it goes on sale shortly.
In the U.S. this fuel is not commonly available at gas stations, so that specific engine would not work here in the U.S.  However, you and your readers should know that Hyundai is actively working on a hybrid specifically for the U.S. market and one will be available within the next several years.
It won’t be long, only a matter of months, before we’ll be announcing a lot more information on Hyundai’s hybrid and other environmental plans.  We’ll be sure to let you know as those develop. 
One last note in regard to mileage.  You may not know it, but Hyundai already ranks among the top three automakers with the highest fleet fuel economy in the U.S.  Simply put, it means more MPG for Hyundai owners.  While that is great, we’re committed to doing more and we’ll be talking specifics shortly.”

DerrickG, thanks for your input.  We must be getting different info from different sources, but for now I’m sticking with the Elantra name as it’s the info I got both from both my contact at U.S. Hyundai as well as from Hyundai corporate in Korea.

Courtney and Lori-
Thank you for your detective work digging up that extra info about the LPG fuel. Until the US builds an infrastructure for LPG, natural gas, and hydrogen fuels, we’re severely handicapped. Unless alternatives to “normal” gasoline are widely available, then most people have no choice but to use gas-burning cars. In the race to use alternative fuels, we can’t get off the starting line.

Darn, DerrickG, I’m coming to you with my proverbial tail between my legs (hate that!) - you are right, while most press accounts have called this car an Elantra, it will be under the Avanta badge in Korea.  Please accept my humblest apology!

Its pretty amazing to think how for hybrid vehicles have come but at the same time i am shocked that hyundai is going that route. I’d think they need to be more innovative and jump ahead of the curve as chevy is with the volt.