Hyundai, Kia $360M US Justice Department Settlement Approved In District Court

by Cameron Aubernon

Published: January 21st, 2015

hyundai kia 360m us justice department settlement approved in district court

The $360 million settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Hyundai and Kia for overstating fuel economy figures was approved Tuesday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The Detroit News report the approval also rejected a request from the attorneys general in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, asking the court set aside a minimum of $25 million for their states’ respective electric vehicle programs. The court sided with the Justice Department in its ruling, warning that such a request would threaten the original settlement agreement with more complex and lengthy negotiations.

The agreement includes $100 million in civil penalties, $50 million for independent auditing of the Korean duo’s offerings, and a forfeiture of $210 million in greenhouse emission credits. It also ends the Environmental Protection Agency’s investigation into the overstated figures, and affects 600,000 Hyundai and 300,000 Kia models made between 2011 and 2013.

#EnvironmentalProtectionAgency #FuelEconomyFigures #Hyundai #Kia #Settlements #U.S.DepartmentOfJustice #U.S.DistrictCourtForTheDistrictOfColumbia

Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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5 of 22 comments

APaGttH on Jan 21, 2015

In city driving I've never hit the window sticker on the G8 GT...and I know why. So much fun to press the skinny pedal down...

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50merc on Jan 21, 2015

We at least can be grateful the court rejected those state AG's rent-seeking bid for boondoggle politically correct electric vehicle giveaways. If Attorney Generals want to be appropriators of public funds, let them get elected as legislators. Judicial bonanzas should become General Fund revenue.

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Donutguy on Jan 21, 2015

I have a 2014 Elantra and if I drive at 60-65, I average close to 40mpg. Good enough for me :-)

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- Highdesertcat on Jan 21, 2015
  
  That's pretty good. I do not believe that my grand daughter got anywhere near 30mpg in her 2011 Elantra (automatic) but she cruised at 85+mph at an altitude above 4500 feet, and higher. Her mpg was closer to 20-25mpg because of the mountainous terrain she had to climb over on the way to college. But I would buy another Elantra all over again. It never gave her any problems, never broke down, never went back to the dealership for anything, and when she sold it to another student at the end of last year she got more than 50% back from what we paid for it. Everybody was a happy camper.
  
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Denx57 on Jul 20, 2015

I have a '13 elantra gt. Currently has 66k miles. I always avg 35mpg... 70% highway driving. Im very satisfied. A recent trip out west using premium gas (100% gas, no ethanol) I avgd well over 40 mpg going 75 mph and faster at times. Utah has an 80mph speed limit. This whole lawsuit thing sounds bogus to me.

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