Hyundai to supply over 1,200 Sonata hybrid taxis to Dubai

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest carmaker, said Wednesday it will supply more than 1,200 Sonata gasoline hybrid sedans as taxis to Dubai next year.

Hyundai Motor has signed deals with the Dubai Taxi Corp. (DTC) and Cars Taxi to deliver a combined 1,232 Sonata hybrid taxis to the companies by the end of 2020, the company said in a statement.

Cars Taxi is the biggest taxi company in the United Arab Emirates.

Hyundai began to provide Sonata hybrid taxis to the Middle Eastern country in 2018, and Hyundai-made taxis will account for 63 percent of the local taxi market by end-2020 from the current 13 percent, it said.

Hyundai aims to strengthen its brand image as an environment-friendly vehicle provider in Dubai and advance to its neighboring markets with its hybrid models, the statement said.

The Dubai government plans to replace 50 percent of taxis in the Middle Eastern country with hybrid models that release fewer emissions by 2021, it said.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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