New fuel-rating system adopted by South Korean government

The Korean government has introduced a stricter measuring system this year to bring itself up to par with standards in other developed countries; the tests will be more detailed than those used in the past. Under the old system, automakers used a computer simulation called CVS-75 in laboratories to measure how much petrol or diesel their cars guzzled. This tests cars over 17.85 kilometers (km) at an average speed of 34.1 km per hour. This system did not take into account emergency stops or sudden bursts of speed, and therefore were believed to be unfair, as it is not based on actual driving conditions.
 
The new rules, effective January 1, mandate that all cars have to be tested through their paces over an accumulated minimum mileage of 3,000 km under five different driving conditions: on the highway, in the city, at high speeds and with sudden bursts of speed, at extremely cold temperatures and with the air-con system running. Old cars have to be re-tested. Automakers have to prominently display labels that show the new readings for highway and city, and a combination of the two. The government also raised the minimum gauge to consider a car at a “first rate” level of fuel efficiency from 15 km to 16 km per liter. Many cars would not be able to qualify under this standard.
 
When the new system was implemented, results showed that most cars’ fuel efficiency rating declined by 20-30%. Hybrids registered the biggest decline.
“It’s true that right now, local carmakers don’t have the same kind of diesel-engine technology as German brands,” said Kim Pil-soo, a professor of automotive studies at Daelim University College. “The new system will encourage Korean car manufacturers to invest more in R&D to enhance the fuel economy of their vehicles.” (January 23, 2013)