[2020 Akyung Fuel Efficiency King] Competition Concludes... "I Will Participate Again Next Year"

On the 14th, award winners from each category are taking a commemorative photo at the '2020 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition, the only event hosted by a domestic media company to select South Korea's top eco-friendly driver, was successfully held on the 14th at the Korea Expressway Corporation's Seoul Metropolitan Area Headquarters located at Seo Hanam IC, with 55 teams participating.

Marking its 13th year, this competition selects eco drivers with environmentally friendly driving habits. Over the past 12 years, about 920 teams have competed.

This year's competition covered a total distance of 106.4 km (approximately 90 minutes at a driving speed of 70 km/h). The course started from Seo Hanam IC, passing Hanam JCT, East Seoul TG, Hobeop JCT, and Deokpyeong Rest Area as the turnaround point, then continuing through Singal JCT, Seoul TG, Pangyo JCT, Seongnam TG, and returning to Seo Hanam IC.

On the 14th, at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, Lee Hak-in, Editor-in-Chief, and Kim Oh-young, who won the overall championship at the '2020 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition,' are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

The grand prize winner (Minister of Environment Award), Mr. Kim Young-ho, drove a 2005 Audi A4 2.0 TDI diesel, purchased in 2018, achieving 31.3 km per liter of diesel. This remarkable result represents a 489.291% improvement over the official fuel efficiency.

Mr. Kim participated in the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition for the first time this year and took the championship. He explained that the secret to his fuel efficiency was shifting gears at low RPM and maintaining inertia driving as much as possible.

Regarding his choice of vehicle, he said, "I purchased it for camping before the COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "I chose this car because it is convenient for car camping." He continued, "I am happy to win in my first entry this year and plan to continue participating. Following traffic laws and not obstructing other vehicles is the shortcut to fuel-efficient driving."

The 13th Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition was held on the 14th at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province. Vehicles participating in the event are entering the turnaround point at Deokpyeong Rest Area. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The winners in each category were ▲ Domestic passenger cars over 2000CC (Jung Se-hoon, Hyundai Grandeur Hybrid) ▲ Domestic passenger cars 1600CC to 2000CC (Jo Byung-rae, Chevrolet Malibu 2.0 Diesel) ▲ Domestic passenger cars gasoline 1600CC or less (Yoon Jun-ho, Hyundai Avante) ▲ Domestic RV & SUV (Seo Jung-soo, Hyundai Veracruz) ▲ Imported gasoline category (Choi Yong-seok, BMW 530i) ▲ Imported diesel (Ye Seong-hoon, BMW Active Tourer).

This year's competition covered a total distance of 106.4 km (approximately 90 minutes at a driving speed of 70 km/h). The course started from Seo Hanam IC, passing Hanam JCT, East Seoul TG, Hobeop JCT, Deokpyeong Rest Area as the turnaround point, then continuing through Singal JCT, Seoul TG, Pangyo JCT, Seongnam TG, and returning to Seo Hanam IC.

Mr. Kim Oh-young, who received the grand prize, was awarded a fuel voucher worth 1 million KRW and gifts. The group winners Jung Se-hoon, Jo Byung-rae, Yoon Jun-ho, Seo Jung-soo, Choi Yong-seok, and Ye Seong-hoon each received fuel vouchers worth 500,000 KRW.

The 13th Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition was held on the 14th at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Vehicles participating in the event are entering the turnaround point at Deokpyeong Rest Area. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Professor Kim Pil-soo of Daelim University’s Department of Automotive Engineering, who participated as a judge, said, "Usually, the winner is selected from participants who achieve over 300% of the official fuel efficiency, but this year, a high record of over 400% was achieved. As the competition progresses, participants' records are steadily improving."

The Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition was hosted by Asia Economy Newspaper and sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Korea Expressway Corporation, and Korea Eco-Drive Association.

The Fuel Efficiency King Competition was planned to elevate the eco-driving movement to a nationwide project amid growing interest in eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrid and electric cars.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.