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Hyundai Sonata PHEV on sale for $34,600, in some states, at least

Hyundai's first plug-in hybrid vehicle is now available in ten US states, and the even better news is that the car can go the equivalent of a marathon, plus a little change, without using a drop of gas. The South Korean automaker says the vehicle will have a 600-mile driving range and will be able to go 27 miles on electric power alone. Other goodies on the safety front include a blind-spot detection system and rear cross-traffic alerts. The sedan pairs a 2.0-liter gas-powered engine and electric motor that combine for 202 horsepower. The car also delivers an estimated 99 miles per gallon equivalent fuel-economy rating. The model's 9.8-kWh battery is five times the size as the one in the Sonata Hybrid. Exactly how well these cars will sell could be a mystery for a little while, as Hyundai and its sister company Kia have steadfastly refused to disclose hybrid-sales figures and this policy might continue with the PHEV. The Sonata PHEV starts at $34,600 before a potential federal-government incentive worth up to $4,919 kicks in. A "limited" trim runs for $4,000 more. The car, whose specifications were largely detailed last month, will be available for sale in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. The reason for this limited roll-out, Hyundai executives have said, is that those states have the best charging infrastructure network for PHEVs. No word on when the rest of the country will be able to easily buy the sedan, though folks in the other 40 states can at least put in special orders for the car. Take a look at Hyundai's press release below, and read our First Drive impressions here. Related Video: 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID DELIVERS CLASS-LEADING 27-MILE ALL-ELECTRIC RANGE Exclusive Blue Link Smartphone App Controls Charging Schedule Remotely 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Rear Exterior 3/4 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. November 13, 2015 – This week the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) arrives in select dealerships with a competitively priced and compelling product that boasts a class-leading 27-mile All-Electric Range (AER). The 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid offers the efficiency of an alternative powertrain with a unique aerodynamic exterior design, best-in-class total interior volume, premium features and advanced safety technology all at an excellent value.

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs

Judge reduces damages in fatal Hyundai crash to $81M

Hyundai no longer has to pay $248 million as part of a court ruling from a fatal accident in Montana that killed two cousins in a 2005 Tiburon. The judge hearing the appeal revised the amount down to a total of about $81 million. She upheld the original $8.1 million in actual damages but reduced the punitive damages to $73 million from the previous $240 million.
According to Bloomberg, the judge refused Hyundai's desire to reduce the amount even further. She said in her court order that the company showed "an indifference to or reckless disregard of the health and safety of the motoring public."
In the original case, the families' attorneys alleged that the cracking of a faulty steering knuckle caused the fatal accident. Hyundai argued that fireworks had been let off inside the vehicle, which caused the driver to swerve and crash. In a statement released after the ruling, the automaker claimed that evidence supporting its defense was barred from the trial. According to Bloomberg, had the original amount of damages been upheld, it would have been the sixth-highest amount awarded by a jury in the US this year.