SEOUL, May 8 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co ( HYMTF )

plans to use the investment it has already lined up for the

United States to produce hybrid vehicles at its electric vehicle

(EV) plant there.

The world's No.3 automaker by sales together with affiliate

Kia Corp ( KIMTF ), aims to use investment in its EV and

battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia to produce hybrid

cars, Hyundai Motor's ( HYMTF ) global Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz

told a business conference hosted by the Financial Times on

Wednesday.

"I think we can handle (that) within the current investment

more or less .... It is already a lot," said Munoz.

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group, which houses Hyundai

Motor ( HYMTF ) and Kia, said it would invest $12.6 billion for new

dedicated EV and battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia -

its largest investment outside South Korea.

Munoz's comments come after the automaker said last month it

planned to add equipment to build hybrid vehicles at the Georgia

plant, which is set to start production in the second half of

this year.

"Now we are at this pivotal point where we can decide if

we're going to go full electric or if we should go for something

else. My vote here is that we should go for something else in

addition to electric," said Munoz, when asked about Hyundai's

decision to add hybrids to the plant.

Automakers and suppliers are adding capacity to build

gasoline-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles for the

U.S. market, responding to increased consumer demand for

technology that General Motors ( GM ) and other automakers once

planned to phase out in favor of all-electric fleets.

Last month, Reuters reported that Hyundai Motor Group

planned to launch its first hybrid cars in India as early as

2026.

In the first quarter, Hyundai's sales of hybrid vehicles

jumped 17% globally, underscoring consumers' growing interest in

vehicles that are often more affordable than pure EVs.

Munoz said Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF ) would prepare for "different

scenarios", when asked about the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act -

which requires vehicles to be assembled in North America to

qualify for EV tax credits - and the potential impact of the

upcoming U.S. presidential election on the law.

He added the company, the No.2 EV seller in the United

States after Tesla, was closing the EV sales gap on its

U.S. rival, despite being still "far away".

"In October later this year and (if) we qualify (for U.S. EV

tax credits), then we are going to be able to fight a head to

head in the same conditions as our competitors," said Munoz.