You may remember the claimed fuel efficiency scandal caused by Hyundai that overstated the economy figures for several of their vehicles. They then had to compensate over 900,000 owners of vehicles sold between 2011 and 2013, with the discrepancy between the stated and actual numbers ranging from 1 to 4 mpg US.
Since Hyundai is a South Korean automaker, the situation was bound to trigger some reaction from back home, as well, and it has. The local Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it was going to reduce the margin for error when it comes to stated efficiency numbers, from 5 percent to just 3 percent.
This will force local automakers to pay much more attention to what they write on the stickers, which is good because it means the product they sell is ever so slightly more honest.
The measures are expected to become active from the second half of 2013, though we’ll know more about what direct effect this will have on exported cars’ efficiency figures even later in the year.
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References: Reuters
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