During a recent conference held in the U.S., the South Korean automotive producer vowed that its model range average fuel efficiency will reach 50 mpg (4.7 liters per 100 km) by 2025.
The announcement was made by the Hyundai America’s Chief Executive Officer John Krafcik. He admitted that the target that the company has set itself is an incredibly high one, adding that the carmaker hasn’t got a complete plan for achieving it.
“We don’t know specifically how to get there, but we do have a roadmap,” the C.E.O. said.
The automaker has managed to claim the top spot in the U.S. automotive industry in terms of fuel efficiency since 2008, offering the lowest average fuel consumption.
Krafcik used the 2011 Sonata mid-size sedan to illustrate the company’s eco pathway. The vehicle only comes with a four cylinder powerplant, a move that allowed Hyundai to give up components that would have brought an additional 40 pounds.
Hyundai plans to keep using internal combustion engines for 75 to 80 percent of its vehicles, with 10 to 15 percent using hybrid powertrains and the remaining 5 percent relying on hydrogen fuel cells or battery power.
But let’s see how the industry’s average will evolve in the future. The EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have adopted a set of upcoming regulations that will force automotive producers to offer an average model range efficiency of 35 mpg, with the target set for 2016.
Our say: It seems that the South Koreans are planing to take over the auto world.
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