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EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers

The unintended acceleration brouhaha at Toyota led to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration tightening the vise on recall procedures. Likewise, the fuel economy kerfuffle that blew up with Hyundai and Kia's admission of overstated fuel mileage claims could lead to the Environmental Protection Agency policing automaker assertions by performing more audits.
At least, that's what a senior engineer with the government agency said while in Michigan giving a talk, according to a report in Automotive News. What that actually means, however, is still in question. Just ten to 15 percent of new vehicles - something like 150 to 200 cars per year - are rested by the EPA to verify automaker numbers. The EPA's own tests include a "fudge factor" to adjust lab mileage for real-world mileage, and the agency still relies on automakers to submit data for tests that it doesn't have the facilities to perform. How much more auditing can the EPA really expect to do, or perhaps a more relevant question would be how much more accurate could the EPA's audits become?
The price of gasoline, the psychological importance of 40 miles per gallon to a frugal car buyer, an automaker wanting to further justify the price premium of a hybrid, all of these things contribute to fuel economy numbers that insist on creeping upward. Perhaps the senior engineer encapsulated the whole situation best when he said, "Everybody wants a label that tells you exactly what you're going to get, but obviously that's not possible. A good general rule of thumb is that real-world fuel economy is about 20 percent lower than the lab numbers." If the lesson isn't exactly 'buyer beware,' it's at least 'buyer be wary.'

2015 Hyundai Genesis appears uncovered [UPDATE]

Hyundai gave us a tease of its second-gen Genesis sedan courtesy of the HCD-14 Genesis Concept displayed at this year's Detroit Auto Show, and while we've seen numerous spy shots of the car testing since (both on and off the track), all were heavily camouflaged. That all changed today when the South Korean site bobaedream.co.kr posted an image of the new luxury sedan sitting out completely uncovered (click the image to enlarge).
While we can't see much more than the face of the new Genesis sedan, it does appear to be a striking improvement over the current car that debuted back in 2008. The jutting, upright grille is very similar in appearance to the HCD-14 Concept, while the headlights and fascia look like a combination of Mercedes S-Class and E-Class. The body creasing isn't as dramatic as the concept, but the roofline and glasshouse look to be almost identical to the show car. Based on how finished the car looks in this picture, our guess is that we could see Hyundai's new Genesis at an upcoming auto show like LA or Detroit.
UPDATE: Per the request of the individual pictured next to the Hyundai Genesis in the original photo that spurred this story, we have removed said image from the post. You can still see the new Genesis here at the source, for the moment.

Automakers teaming with Google to bring Android to cars this year

Remember how we mentioned that Hyundai would be offering a BlueLink infotainment app for Google Glass? And how last week, we told you about a rumored partnership between Audi and Google? Well, both of these things were just part of a much bigger deal.
Google has teamed up with Audi, General Motors, Hyundai and Honda to form the Open Automotive Alliance. With the help of chipmaker NVIDIA, the group aims to bring Google's Android operating system to the auto industry on a large scale. While the speed with which Android will be adopted by the industry remains unclear - the OAA's own press release says "timing for each automaker will vary" - we could see the first Android-equipped vehicle by year's end.
For those that keep their ear to the ground in the automotive tech world, this is a big deal for more than just one reason - Honda, GM and Hyundai are all partners in the Siri Eyes Free program from Apple. The future of that relationship now that three of its automakers are in bed with Apple's arch-rival, though, could be under threat.