Detroit Three Dimed Out Hyundai/Kia Over MPG: Automotive News
Could one of the Detroit auto makers blown the whistle on Hyundai and Kia’s mileage figures? Automotive News seems to think so.
According to AN, Margo Oge, a retired EPA official, said it was
a “credible” senior vice president from a domestic automaker called her in 2010 to accuse the Korean brands of “cheating” to get inflated mpg numbers. Based on the tip, Oge launched an audit that led Hyundai and Kia to admit they made bogus fuel-economy claims.
GM and Chrysler issued unequivocal denials over whether they were the guilty party. Ford’s answer didn’t pass AN‘s smell test. Ford stated that
“We cannot comment on any specific discussions, but Ford routinely speaks with policymakers about a wide variety of issues affecting our industry,” a company spokesman wrote in an e-mail. “We have been — and remain — an advocate of driving real fuel economy gains because it is in the best interest of our customers.”
Two issues here
1) We put forward a rather veiled suggestion that this whole thing was somewhat fishy in light of the circumstances surrounding previous questions about the Ford Fusion Hybrid’s fuel economy claims. Backroom chats with other industry types yileded more explicit suggestions that despite Hyundai/Kia’s wrongdoing, this whole thing was a witch hunt.
2) If Ford really was behind this, it’s hardly an opportune time for them to be pontificating about fuel economy claims.
More by Derek Kreindler
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It was Tesla.
The fact that the EPA needs a phone call tip-off in the first place shows terrible incompetence. Cars are barely even a hobby to me, much less a (taxpayer-funded) "job," so how is it that I can spot the MPG outlier among such similar, commoditized cars like the Focus, Elantra, Civic, Corolla, Sentra, etc., and a gov't agency in love with meddling can't see it without a secret phone call?
Look at the bright side. For years, everyone complained that automakers and vehicle owners didn't care enough about fuel economy. Now, fuel economy is so important to customers that some car companies are apparently willing to cheat to achieve better numbers.
Typical Ford, the most dishonest/arrogant/deceitful car company in the world. But the best part, is that shortly after they tattled on HK, they get caught for doing the exact same thing....only WORSE! Why people continue to support such a corrupt company is beyone me. It's like supporting the Mafia, Bernie Madoff, Tom Petters, etc