COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 4, 2011 – With yesterday's September sales press release, HyundaiMotor America has begun disclosing both its sales-weighted Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) results and its average window-label fuel economy results. Hyundai is the first automaker to disclose either of these important fuel economy data points.
"At the beginning of the year, we began reporting monthly sales-weighted Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) results, to allow journalist, policy-makers, and consumers the ability to judge our progress against the evolving CAFE standards," said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America's president and CEO. "Now, we are going one step further and sharing average window-label fuel economy results, so stakeholders can better understand the very real difference between these two metrics."
CAFE fuel economy is based on data from fuel economy tests and does not include adjustments taken to reflect real-world driving conditions. These are used to set federal standards. Average window-label fuel economy is what is shown on the vehicle window sticker. It is calculated by taking data from fuel economy tests and applying adjustments which results in ratings that more accurately reflect what drivers will get in real-world driving. Each month Hyundai will provide both sets of data to ensure that journalists, policy-makers, and consumers understand the significant differences between CAFE standard fuel economy values and real-world fuel economy values.
"CAFE values, since they are unadjusted for real-world driving conditions, are more than 30 percent higher than the real-world adjusted fuel economy values shown on new car window stickers," said Krafcik. "It's important to continue to make this point so the dialogue around fuel economy standards, which are based on CAFE values and not real-world values, can be put into the appropriate context."
For additional details on the subject reference the November 2011 Car & Driver Magazine article: The CAFE Numbers Game; Making Sense of the New Fuel-Economy Regulations by Csaba Csere.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 5-years of complimentary Roadside Assistance and the Hyundai Trade-in Value Guarantee.
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