Hyundai Motor Co. became the first carmaker in the world to produce a sedan powered by hydrogen and electric batteries from its huge new production line two years ahead of Chrysler of the United States, which was the first automaker to develop a car powered by electric batteries.

The motor company celebrated its capacity to turn out hydrogen and battery powered cars en masse at a ceremony held at its car plant in Ulsan on Feb. 26 with over 100 people gathered led by Vice Chairman Kim Eok-jo of Hyundai Motor and Ulsan Mayor Park Maeng-woo, among others.

The carmaker, the fifth largest in the world in terms of the number of cars sold, will market the new sedans in Europe and other auto markets including the United States in 2015 and projects to sell around 1,000 new hydrogen and battery-powered sedans in those markets.

The significance is that the company has its own pool of technologies and know-how for the production of these cars to lead the production of environmentally-friendly autos globally to the extent that the carmaker will be able to take up a huge chunk of the future market for these vehicles, they added.

The hydrogen and battery driven car to be produced this time will be the Tucson ix, which was put on display for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010, which is the third model after the Santa Fe hydrogen and battery powered car introduced in November 2000 and the Tucson hydrogen and battery fuelled model introduced in 2006.

Hyundai Motor will use the 100 Mw fuel battery system and two tanks for storing hydrogen with a fuel efficiency ratio of 27.8 km/l (based on the European fuel efficiency rate system) and can travel as far as 594 km with one fuel battery charge even in -20 centigrade weather.

The price range for the hydrogen and battery powered sedan if ordered to be made will be around $200,000 per car. The sedans will be supplied to the public offices in European countries for 130 million won per car on the condition that the fuel batteries be returned to the motor company after four years of operation. The company expects the price will be lowered to as much as $50,000 per car when the car is mass-produced in 2015.

The new sedan model will begin production at the end of March with 15 of them to be delivered to Denmark and two to Sweden with the sale of the sedan to government and public organizations in Europe first, officials of Hyundai Motor said.

The official specs of the new sedan show that it can hit 100 km per hour in 12.5 seconds with the maximum speed of 160 km per hour. It can run as far as 594 km with one battery charge.

“Hyundai Motor has continuously strived to create innovative ways to satisfy customers. Hyundai Motor would not have been able to lead Korea’ s auto industry and become a major global auto company without the love and support of you, our customers. Executives and employees alike at Hyundai know this by heart and will never cease to search for ways to maximize customer satisfaction. That’ s what we mean we say our goal is not to be the worlds’  biggest automaker, but to be the worlds’  most-loved automaker,” Chairman Chung said in a statement on the company’ s website.

“In 2012, Hyundai Motor Company focused on solid internal growth in order to lay the foundation for becoming a leading global automaker. To achieve this, the company will strengthen its ongoing quality management with the aim of providing more premium quality features and services to its customers. With the completion this year of its third manufacturing plant in Beijing and a new plant in Brazil, the company will stabilize its global production bases. At the same time, the will work to improve communication and cooperation between its production facilities and sales subsidiaries to respond proactively to rapid market changes,” Chung said.