Hyundai tops list as most fuel efficient automaker in the US

[Silver Rocket]

PRESS RELEASE
Source : [Hyundai]
Hyundai Takes the Lead as the Most Fuel-Efficient Automaker in America

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after promising to become the leading manufacturer in fuel economy, Hyundai delivered by topping the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy report. Hyundai passed all major manufacturers in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) including traditional leaders like Honda and Toyota. The report demonstrates the effectiveness of Hyundai's value-driven fuel-efficiency strategy, which focuses on the intelligent application of cost-effective technologies. The report also substantiates Hyundai's leadership in the race to achieve the government-mandated 2016 CAFE standard of 35.5 miles per gallon.

The EPA 2009 Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends Report indicates that Hyundai has the highest MY 2009 laboratory 55/45 fuel economy with 30.1 miles per gallon (mpg). Hyundai is also the only automaker(1) to top 30 mpg in the report.

Environmental Protection Agency Fuel Economy Reports (2)
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Group Fuel Economy (mpg)
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MY 2009 EPA Lab 55/45* (projected)
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Manufacturer** Overall (Cars/Trucks)
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Hyundai 30.1
------- ----
Honda 29.7
----- ----
Volkswagen 29.6
---------- ----
Toyota 29.4
------ ----
Kia 28.0
--- ----
Nissan 27.2
------ ----
BMW 26.9
--- ----
Ford 25.7
---- ----
General Motors 24.5
-------------- ----
Chrysler 23.2
-------- ----


* from EPA Table 28 (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/mpg/fetren ... ov2009.xls) - MY 2009 EPA Laboratory 55/45 Fuel Economy by Manufacturer (55% city 45% highway weighted metric)

**Include ten highest-volume manufacturers

"Our thoughtful application of cost-effective, fuel-efficient technologies has helped us achieve our goal of leading the industry in fuel economy ahead of schedule," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Now we hope to extend that leadership with the launch of our new direct injection, turbocharging and lithium-polymer hybrid technologies, all of which will be a part of the 2011 Sonata lineup launching early next year."

Hyundai is aligning global R&D resources at its engineering centers in California, Michigan, Korea, India and Germany to develop the Blue Drive technologies needed to achieve fuel efficiency goals. Under the Hyundai Blue Drive strategy, technologies such as direct injection, turbo-charging, hybrid drive systems and a number of others will all play larger roles in powering future models to offer consumers lower emissions, enhanced performance and more miles per gallon.

[KRRaj]

yay!! to Hyundai. Specially as I drive a Hyundai now

[mclaren1885]

Not surprised, since almost all Hyundai cars I have driven have given some unbelievable FE even after managing to drive them at good speeds.

[avinash]

mclaren1885 » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:15 pm[/url]]Not surprised, since almost all Hyundai cars I have driven have given some unbelievable FE even after managing to drive them at good speeds.

its a hunday..like ..sunday ...

anybody seen that ad?

[Pradeep]

Hyundai Offers Lifetime Battery Replacement On Sonata

Hyundai, which pioneered America’s Best Warranty almost a decade back, strives to serve its customers better and show them the faith they have in their cars. This dedication led to creation of the ‘Hyundai Assurance’ and an umbrella of services under that. Every Hyundai vehicle sold in the U.S. is covered by the Hyundai Assurance Program. These include the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.


In a latest move, Hyundai added to its Sonata Hybrid coverage, something that went far beyond Hyundai’s industry leading 10-year/100,000 warranty. It is the Lifetime Battery Replacement Guarantee, a first of a kind protection, which ensures that in case of a Sonata Hybrid Lithium Polymer Battery technology failure, Hyundai will replace the battery for free and also cover the recycling costs of the old one. This coverage would apply to all 2012 model year Sonata Hybrid models.

“The Hyundai brand was built on outstanding quality backed by the industry’s best protection program which we call Hyundai Assurance. Expanding Hyundai Assurance to include Lifetime Battery Replacement Guarantee was another opportunity for us to demonstrate our confidence in the durability of our product, and pass that peace-of-mind on to our owners,” Michael O’Brien, VP (Corporate and Product Planning), Hyundai USA, said.

Such a guarantee itself would talk for the battery technology and performance. The traditional lithium batteries have their own pitfall when it comes to using them in consumer devices under temperatures ranging from -40 to 120+ degrees Fahrenheit, and with 10-year-and-beyond longevity requirements. Hyundai, overcame the problem by developing the lithium polymer technology in association with its partner LG Chem. The lithium polymer cells use a manganese spinel chemistry that provides an excellent balance between power delivery, energy density and thermal stability. The electrodes in the traditional battery expand and contract with heating and cooling during charging and discharging. This leads to cracks in the electrodes and thus cells no longer can hold the charge. The Manganese spinel lithium polymer cells have much lower expansion rates and thus are able to go through thousands of charge cycles. Well, doesn’t the life time guarantee start making sense now? Smart isn’t it?

Source - Hyundai Offers Lifetime Battery Replacement On Sonata | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News Reviews

[sgiitk]

I wonder whether they will top (from the back) in India. They have about the lowest figures in most segments, vis a vis the competition!

[MutantX]

agreed. Hyundai spends more money on bribing ARAI officials than money spent on their R&D.