article thumbnail

Hyundai introduces hybrid version of new Sonata; 10% improvement in fuel economy over predecessor

Green Car Congress

Hyundai expects the 2016 Sonata Hybrid to improve fuel economy more than 10%. Sonata Hybrid will be built at Hyundai’s Asan, South Korea assembly plant and will go on sale early this summer. The 2016 Sonata Hybrid features a downsized 2.0-liter The 2016 Sonata Hybrid features a downsized 2.0-liter

article thumbnail

Navigant forecasts global road transportation energy consumption to increase 25% by 2035; 84% from conventional fuels

Green Car Congress

For instance, markets for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are particularly strong in Eastern Europe, Turkey, and South Korea, but relatively small elsewhere. To meet the increased fuel economy requirements for new vehicles, automakers have made major investments in engine downsizing, vehicle lightweighting, and vehicle electrification.

article thumbnail

GM to double models with 40 mpg highway or better by 2017; ongoing manufacturing efficiency improvements

Green Car Congress

GM’s fuel-economy plan through the 2016 model year focuses on a reduction in vehicle mass and aggressive investment in advanced materials, such as high-strength steel, carbon fiber and aluminum, enabled in part by our industry-first aluminum welding technology. Earlier post.). The 2020 target was raised from 0.70 to reflect this change.

GM 275
article thumbnail

First Drive: 2016 Hyundai Sonata PHEV and HEV

Green Car Congress

Sonata Plug-in Hybrid will be built at the Asan, South Korea plant and will go on sale in select markets later this Fall. Combined fuel economy (mpg). The second-generation hybrid system has been thoroughly enhanced from its predecessor: The downsized GDI engine features an aluminum block and head, a compression ratio of 13.5:1,

PHEV 150
article thumbnail

Kia introduces 2017 Niro Hybrid Utility Vehicle, Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid at Chicago

Green Car Congress

Because the high-voltage battery is both power and energy dense, engineers were able to use the downsized gasoline engine to maximize fuel economy and reduce emissions. The Coasting Guide aims at maximizing fuel economy by essentially coaching the driver on when to coast and brake. A compact and lightweight 1.56-kWh

Hybrid 150
article thumbnail

Can Alt-Fuel Credits Accelerate EV Adoption?

Cars That Think

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which stewards the RFS, had repeatedly downsized the targets by nearly 25 percent. friendly governments in Europe, Japan, and South Korea have criticized the plan for purportedly discriminating against non-U.S. By the mid-2010s, the U.S. In 2016, a U.S. Meanwhile, in a future U.S.

Fuel 72