MPG, fuel economy – Hyundai’s the highest mileage brand in the US
A recently released survey from TrueCar.com has shown that Hyundai has made huge strides when it comes to fleet fuel efficiency.
The report revealed that the average Hyundai car added 2.5 mpg to each vehicle in the lineup.
The results may not be that surprising to those that follow the auto making industry, especially since Hyundai is already the highest mileage brand in the US, according to numbers released by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Hyundai is currently ahead of all competitors with an average fuel efficiency of 27.8 mpg across their entire lineup.
Those impressive figures aren’t just restricted to the US though, with Hyundai also doing well globally.
Some examples of that are the new Hyundai i20 1,1L diesel (Blue Drive) which emits the lowest amount of CO2 (84 g/km) of all internal combustion cars in Europe.
The Indian subcompact, Eon, is also a star, delivering top mileage of all petrol and liquefied petroleum gas cars on the Subcontinent.
It’s Hyundai’s goal to be the worldwide leader in fuel efficiency, which they hope to achieve by addressing 2 major issues: weight and efficiency.
Hyundai weight reduction and engine efficiency
It’s Hyundai’s goal to reduce the weight of all of their vehicles by 10% in the coming years. That’s actually the goal of just about every other automaker too, but Hyundai has a few more options available to them than most.
The first step in weight reduction is replacing heavier metal parts with high-strength, high-temperature plastic parts.
An even bigger weight reduction will come by using high-tensile, low-weight steel on every car in the lineup.
Hyundai has a leg up on the competition in that regard because they already own their own steel plant, Hyundai Steel.
Hyundai have found a way to downsize their engines, and therefore the weight, without having to reduce performance.
A perfect example is the 2013 Hyundai Sonata which sported a 4-cylinder engine at a time when everyone else was still using six.
Hyundai were able to maintain the high performance of their vehicles by introducing a new gasoline direct-injection -GDI engine under the hood. Turbo-charging was also used to increase power yet maintain fuel efficiency, with the Sonata Turbo as the best example of that change.
Despite the success that Hyundai has achieved with their turbochargers, they still seek way in which to improve it.
One such example, the mighty-mite 1,0L turbocharged engine was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, although there are no firm plans to place the engine in any Hyundai cars….yet!!
Hyundai aren’t just standing still though, and they fully understand that the holding onto the mileage crown won’t happen by just sticking to gas and diesel engines alone.
That is why they continue to pursue a range of alternatively fueled vehicles such as hybrids, battery electric, fuel-cell electric, and more.
The Sonata Hybrid is already available in Korea and the US, with a battery electric car already tested in Korea too. That means it will be ready to hit showrooms when the market is ready, but that’s not the only big news on this front.
Hyundai will be revealing details on a fuel-cell vehicle that will emit nothing but water, although we are all going to have to wait just a little bit longer before that exciting news gets out.
