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Hyundai vows 50 mpg for U.S. lineup by 2025

Wed, 04 Aug 2010

Hyundai's entire U.S. vehicle lineup will achieve an average of 50 mpg by 2025, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik pledged on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich., Krafcik said Hyundai's U.S. market share has climbed 50 percent since the carmaker became the leader in fuel economy in 2008.

“Getting to 50 mpg and beyond seems like a huge leap, but by making this commitment and aligning our r&d initiatives now, we know we can get there,” Krafcik said.

Hyundai plans to achieve the benchmark through improvements in powertrains--including gasoline direct injection, turbocharging, electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids--plus lightweight materials and other innovations, Krafcik said.

Krafcik said Hyundai would reach the 50 mpg target with about 80 percent of its fleet still using traditional gasoline engines. The other 20 percent would be hybrid, electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles.

He reminded the audience that Hyundai committed to an average 35 mpg for its fleet by 2015 before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year raised the federal standard to 35.5 mpg by 2016.

Krafcik said the redesigned 2011 Sonata mid-sized sedan will be offered only with four-cylinder engines that achieve a highway rating of 35 mpg. The vehicle went on sale in January.

Krafcik said only about 10 percent of mid-sized sedan buyers really want a V6, so Hyundai saved about 40 pounds by eliminating the packing and other things needed to fit a V6 under the hood.




By David Barkholz- Automotive News