[2020 Fuel Efficiency King] The secret to driving 31.3km per 1ℓ: "Low RPM shifting and coasting"

On the 14th, the 13th Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition Concluded at Seohanam IC
55 Teams Competed in Fuel Efficiency Driving Contest
Fuel Efficiency Improvement Rate 489%... Interview with the 13th Fuel Efficiency King, Kim Oh-young

[Asia Economy reporters Su-yeon Woo and Ji-hee Kim] "Shifting gears at low engine revolutions per minute (RPM) and maintaining steady driving flow were a great help."

The 13th 'Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition,' which selects South Korea's best eco-friendly driver, was held successfully on the 14th at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Area Headquarters located at Seo Hanam IC. Kim Oh-young (52), who won the grand prize (Minister of Environment Award) and took the overall championship, emphasized that the secret to winning was shifting at low RPM and maintaining steady driving.

At the 13th Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition, Kim Oh-young (left), who won the overall championship, is taking a commemorative photo in front of the participating vehicle (2005 Audi A4 TDI Avant). Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim, who participated in the competition driving a 2005 Audi A4 2.0 Avant diesel manual model purchased in 2018, recorded an astonishing fuel efficiency of 31.3 km per 1 liter of diesel. This is a remarkable improvement rate of 4.8 times (489%) compared to the official fuel efficiency of the model.

The Audi A4 Avant model driven by Kim is a rare type not available domestically. He is very interested in cars to the extent that he purchased this vehicle directly from overseas as a used car. He also said he took good care of the vehicle as much as he cherished it.

Kim said, "Shifting at a low RPM state in the early 1000s was effective," adding, "Since increasing the engine's revolutions consumes more fuel, I adjusted the shifting accordingly." He continued, "I have always been interested in fuel-efficient driving and consistently paid attention to vehicle care, including managing various chemicals," and added, "Inertial driving by minimizing brake use was another secret."

He learned about the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition through a car club and won the grand prize in his first year of participation. Kim said, "I hope this enjoyable and meaningful competition continues steadily," adding, "I regret that I could have achieved a better record if there had been no traffic congestion. I want to keep participating in the future."

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

Seo Jung-soo, owner of the Hyundai Veracruz who won first place in the domestic RV & SUV category, also shared his secret, saying, "I actively used inertial driving," and "I maintained a consistent distance from the car ahead and drove so that the vehicle would stop as little as possible and keep moving forward."

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@

Reflecting the recent high interest in eco-friendly vehicles, the competition displayed Hyundai Motor Company's hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo, Kia Motors' Niro EV and Soul EV, Renault Samsung Motors' ultra-compact electric vehicles Twizy and Zoe EV, GM Korea's Bolt EV, Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle EQC, BMW plug-in hybrid sedan 330e, and Audi electric vehicle E-Tron, attracting attention.

Professor Kim Pil-soo of Daelim University’s Department of Automotive Engineering, who has served as the head judge for 13 years, said, "Participants who recorded more than 300% improvement compared to official fuel efficiency usually won awards, but this year, a winner achieved over 400% improvement," adding, "It is encouraging that participants' records are improving as the competition continues, and I hope the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition, the only fuel efficiency king competition in Korea, will continue to thrive in the era of future vehicles."