It may be standing tall with the leading fuel economy of any major car manufacturer in the US, but Hyundai is still eager to improve its EPA ratings even further.
According to reports, the company is now planning to achieve a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) of at least 50mpg by 2025 for its line-up of passenger cars and light duty trucks.
Hyundai North America has lead the fuel economy ratings in the US since 2008 and with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations requiring automakers to achieve a CAFE rating of 35.5mpg by 2016, it had already set its own goal to reach 35mpg by 2015.
Now its 50mpg target will apply to its full line of products – from small cars to larger family haulers. It is part of its global Blue Drive strategy which aligns resources at its engineering centres throughout the world and includes improvements and innovations to its powertrains, turbocharging and the introduction of electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids and lightweight materials.
Its innovations have already made their way to its model line-up including the 2011 Sonata which features a 2.4litre Theta II GDI four cylinder as its base engine and achieves up to 35mpg on the highway. Later this year Hyundai will also launch a 2.0T four cylinder turbo option and a hybrid version.
According to current EPA ratings, Hyundai is expected to achieve a fuel economy rating of 30.1mpg for its 2009 line-up – making it the first car manufacturer to top the 30mpg threshold in these projections.
