Japanese Hybrid leaders, Toyota and Honda, better watch out. Aside from German and American car makers, Korean automobile manufacturers are also trying to come up with heir own hybrid vehicles. One of those Korean car makers is Hyundai and they recently divulged that they are expecting to ship their very own hybrid cars in 2009.

The Hyundai folks are so proud of their hybrid contraption that they said it's going to be miles better than that of Honda's. For now, the Korean car makers said that the main issue for them is the high cost of producing hybrid vehicles. They also clarified that the technology is not an issue but they did admit that they still need to work on the cost of the necessary parts like the batteries.

Well, there's nothing wrong with some healthy competition. And besides, if more fuel-efficient cars roll out in the future, then maybe our dependence on oil is nearing its end.