2009 Kia Rio Sedan on 2040-cars

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Hyundai And Kia To Pay US $100M For Overstating MPG

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay the U.S. government a $100 million penalty to end a two-year investigation into overstated gas mileage claims on about one-third of their models. The government says the civil penalty is the largest for a Clean Air Act violation in U.S. history. The discrepancy was discovered after the EPA got complaints about lower-than-advertised mileage on Hyundai's Elantra compact. Audits discovered overstated mileage on the Elantra and other models from 2011 into 2013. Hyundai says it made honest mistakes in interpreting complex EPA mileage test requirements. Neither company admitted liability and both maintain they complied with the law. Generally mileage was overstated by one or two miles per gallon on 13 vehicles. But one vehicle's highway mileage was 6 mpg higher than the EPA tested. Auto News Hyundai Kia mpg

S. Korea to raise concerns about EV credits, battery sourcing in U.S. visit

SEOUL — South Korean officials will meet U.S. counterparts this week to express "concerns" about the Inflation Reduction Act, which restricts who can receive U.S. subsidies for the production of electric vehicles and where firms can source battery materials. President Joe Biden signed into law this month a $430 billion bill, seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. history. The law requires that EVs be assembled in North America to qualify for tax credits, ending subsidies for several EV models, and that a percentage of critical minerals used in batteries come from the United States or an American free-trade partner. Automakers like Hyundai Motor face short-term competitive disadvantage to manufacturers of EVs that receive tax credits in the United States, while industry sources said Korean battery makers must make changes to mineral sourcing routes, which could affect cost adversely. South Korean officials are expected to tell counterparts from the U.S. Trade Representative's office and the U.S. Treasury that the new law may violate trade norms such as the U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement and the WTO agreement, the industry ministry said. Korean automakers will consider adjusting production plans to prioritize the construction of U.S. plants for example, the ministry said, while battery makers will seek to diversify where they source minerals from. Under new rules to kick in next year, at least 40% of the monetary value of the critical minerals in batteries will need to come from the United States or an American free-trade partner, with that proportion rising to 80% by 2027. Globally, the treatment of some 58% of lithium, 64% of cobalt and 70% of graphite goes through China, according to ministry data. FALLOUT The new rules are a major complication for battery makers LG Energy Solution (LGES), SK On and Samsung SDI, battery industry sources said. South Korea's LGES supplies Tesla and General Motors, while SK On and Samsung SDI supply Ford Motor and Volkswagen among others. The three battery makers together command more than a quarter of the global EV battery market, according to SNE Research. "It's become a huge headache ... Automaker clients said they didn't expect this new law would take effect this soon," said a South Korean battery industry source.

A closer look at the 2015 Kia Soul EV

Kia is set to join the fully electric vehicle space this year, with the fresh-faced 2015 Soul EV. The all-electric Soul made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month, and Autoblog west coast editor Michael Harley had a chance to speak with Orth Hedrick, Kia's vice president of product planning, about the new electrified hatchback. In its standard form, the Kia Soul offers tons a wealth of functionality with its upright packaging, and with a new 81-kilowatt electric motor underhood, the electric vehicle should be good for between 80 and 100 miles of driving range. Charging times vary from as long as 24 to five hours, depending on your setup, and Kia is partnering with Bosch, Leviton and AeroVironment to provide different charging solutions, depending on a customer's specific needs. Take another, closer look at the 2015 Kia Soul EV in the video, below.