South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. said Friday that they were
named the most fuel-efficient automakers in the United States by the U.S.
government, outshining other global car brands like Toyota Motor Corp.
Vehicles made by Hyundai and Kia in 2010 had the highest fuel economy at 27
miles per gallon (mpg), or 11.5 kilometers per liter, on average, according to
the Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy
Trends Report released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).
The annual EPA report is based on fuel efficiency and carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions of car manufactures in the U.S. market.
The
two Korean carmakers were tied for first place, followed by Toyota in third with
25.4 mpg. Honda Motor Co. came next with 24.9 mpg.
Hyundai's cars also
had the lowest CO2 emissions, recording 329 grams per mile in CO2 emissions,
closely followed by Kia with 330 grams per mile.
Hyundai and Kia,
which are flagships of Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth largest carmaker,
also topped the forecast of 2011 model-year fuel economy ratings, with 27.5 mpg
and 27.2 mpg, respectively, according to the report.
The automotive
group said that it has emerged as one of the leading environment-friendly
carmakers in the U.S. where authorities have moved to tighten environmental
regulations on vehicles.
The U.S. government announced plans to
require automakers to achieve average fuel economy ratings of 34.1 mpg and reach
250 grams per mile in CO2 emissions by 2016.
Hyundai and Kia,
meanwhile, said they have stepped up efforts on research and development on
cost-effective, fuel-efficient technologies including new direct injection and
turbocharging technologies.
The companies introduced their new hybrid
lineups for the best-selling Sonata and Optima models in the U.S. market last
year.
Hyundai Motor Group has been on a roll in the U.S., with sales
hitting 1.13 million vehicles in 2011.
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