Hyundai Says It Will Reach 35 MPG by 2015

The government has told automakers it must reach a fleet average fuel economy of 35 mpg by 2020, but Hyundai now says it will hit that goal by 2015, five years ahead of schedule.

How does the Korean company plan to meet that goal? Hyundai plans not only to move forward on developing next-generation hybrid vehicles, but to take a holistic approach to its gasoline engines by finding ways to shave a mile per gallon here and a mile per gallon there.

Some of the technologies Hyundai plans to roll out in new vehicles include transmissions that increase efficiency, integrated Stop and Go technology that saves fuel while idling, turbocharging, direct-injection, eight-speed automatic transmissions, and dual continuously variable valve timing. Other automakers are planning similar changes, but Hyundai’s relatively small lineup — with no full-size SUVs or trucks — also lends itself to a quicker jump in overall mileage.

Hyundai plans to introduce three new cars that will help it get to 35 mpg on the fast track, including a hybrid version of the Sonata. At the upcoming Paris auto show in October and the Los Angeles auto show in November, Hyundai will show off the Santa Fe Hybrid and the compact i20 and i20 low-emission diesel, which may or may not go on sale in the U.S.

Hyundai Says It Can Reach US 2020 CAFÉ Requirement of 25 mpg by 2015; Hybrid Santa Fe Concept to Debut at Paris Show (Green Car Congress)