Company officials said the car will likely be launched in February 2018.

Such a long delay comes after the Chinese government refused to certify South Korea-made batteries, in turn disqualifying South Korean electric cars with such batteries from government subsidies.

Hyundai Motor officials said the company was working to replace South Korean batteries in the new Sonata EV to ones made in China, a move that could take nearly a year as it also requires a partial change in the vehicle design itself.

China is believed to be using its trade restrictions against South Korean products as a way of expressing its opposition against the planned deployment of the US missile defense system, the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense or THAAD, to South Korea.

Beijing has also recently blocked shipments of many South Korean cosmetics products, according to earlier reports. (Yonhap)