LOS ANGELES — Hyundai is making a big splash here at the L.A. Auto Show with a promise to deliver a full line of hybrids and gasoline vehicles that average 35 mpg by 2015. The cornerstone of the Korean automaker's eco-plan is a hybrid sedan that breaks new ground with lithium polymer batteries Hyundai says are cheaper, lighter and more durable than anything else on the road.

By embracing lithium polymer technology, Hyundai is breaking with competitors like Toyota, which remains dedicated to the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the Prius, and General Motors, which is pouring everything it has into developing the lithium-ion technology at the heart of the Chevrolet Volt. The company's "Blue Drive" push to seize the green mantle from Toyota and Honda begins next year when it rolls out super-efficient "Blue" versions of its already thrifty Accent and Elantra — with sticker prices below their conventional counterparts. Hyundai's first hybrid, a gas-electric version of the Sonata, follows in 2010.

“Hyundai aims to be the most fuel-efficient automaker on the planet,” says John Krafcik, VP of product development. “We’re aligning our global R&D resources in Michigan, California, Nam Yang and Frankfurt to develop the Blue Drive technologies we need to achieve our goal — a 35-mpg U.S. fleet average by 2015.”

Hyundai is late to the hybrid party, rolling out its first gas-electric car well after Toyota and Honda introduce their third-generation hybrids and Chevrolet plans to offer its range-extended electric car. Hyundai hopes to make up for lost time by delivering batteries it says are better than those in the Prius, the forthcoming Honda Insight and Chevrolet Volt.

Hyundai is breaking with the rest of the industry by betting lithium polymer batteries are the future. Krafcik says they deliver the same power as the nickel-metal hydride batteries found in the Prius but deliver 10 percent greater efficiency while weighing 30 percent less and requiring half as much space. They also offer greater energy density in a smaller package than lithium-ion batteries while being more durable, easier to cool and cheaper to build, he says.

The battery being developed by LG Chem is the heart of a parallel hybrid system called Hybrid Blue Drive that mates a 2.4-liter gasoline engine to a six-speed transmission and a 30-kW electric motor. Hyundai says the car will have an all-electric mode, but there's no word yet on what sort of range it will offer or what kind of fuel economy the hybrid will deliver.

Besides the hybrid, Hyundai plans to offer high-fuel economy models of the Accent and Elantra that feature improved aerodynamics, low-resistance tires, transmission tweaks and engine modifications aimed at improving efficiency. Hyundai didn't offer any specific fuel economy figures but says the "Blue Editions" will be cheaper than the conventional Accent and Elantra, which start at $11,070 and $13,970, respectively.

Looking ahead, Hyundai execs have signed off on an all-new crossover utility vehicle based on the HED-5 concept pictured above. The six-passenger vehicle uses Hyundai's new Theta engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection. The company says the engine produces 286 horsepower — more than many V6s on the road — while improving fuel economy by 15 percent. The Theta engine will appear in other Hyundai models as well.

Main photo by Jim Merithew/Wired.com. All others by Hyundai.

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