Corporate Fleet Buyers May Have More Hybrids to Choose From

Corporate fleet managers one day may have three more auto badges to consider after BMW, Mazda and Hyundai report making headway toward bringing hybrid models to market.

The three automakers have had little foothold in the hybrid car market until now.

Hyundai will unveil a Sonata hybrid at the New York Auto Show in April, according to auto industry site PaulTan.

BMW is working on a hybrid fuel cell concept that is a departure from its research on hydrogen internal combustion engines, according to AutoblogGreen.

Now the company is working on a fuel cell electric vehicle that uses a small gasoline engine and a five-kilowatt fuel cell. In a prototype, energy from regenerative braking is stored in “supercaps” that then drive an 82-kilowatt electric motor mounted in the rear.

In February, BMW announced plans for a conventional hybrid sports car.

Mazda plans to introduce a midsize hybrid car using core parts from Toyota, reports Bloomberg.

The car may reach market by 2013.

Corporate fleets purchase about 300,000 vehicles a year, and they are expected to be among the steadiest customers of electric vehicles and hybrids as they come to market.