2021 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Contest Successfully Held on the 13th
14th Winner Min Byung-yoon: "The Secret to Victory is Momentum Driving"
On the 13th, awardees are taking a commemorative photo at the '2021 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporters Changhwan Lee, Jehun Yoo, Gimin Lee] The ‘2021 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition,’ which selects Korea’s best eco-friendly driver, was successfully held on the 13th at the Korea Expressway Corporation Seoul Metropolitan Headquarters.
First launched in 2008, the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition marked its 14th edition this year and is the largest eco-driving competition in Korea. A total of 58 teams participated this year.
The top fuel efficiency winner of the day, Min Byung-yoon (49), emphasized, "The key to high fuel efficiency is driving flexibly according to road conditions."
Min competed in this competition driving a 2018 Hyundai Avante Sports model and achieved an astonishing fuel efficiency of about 26.5 km/l. This figure far exceeds the official fuel efficiency of the Avante Sports model, which is 11.6 km/l.
Min cited ‘elastic driving’ as the secret to high fuel efficiency. He explained, "The section where fuel efficiency drops the most is uphill. When you see a hill ahead, if you accelerate from the flat road to utilize that momentum, you can significantly reduce fuel consumption. On downhill slopes, lightly pressing the accelerator can also help maintain momentum. Driving flexibly according to road conditions is the key," he said.
On the 13th, Min Byung-yoon (right), who participated with an Avante Sports vehicle at the '2021 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, received the overall Fuel Efficiency King award. Now in its 14th year, the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition is the largest eco-driving competition in Korea, with over 1,000 teams and more than 6,000 participants to date. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Sports models generally have higher driving performance but lower fuel efficiency compared to regular models. However, Min clinched the championship with the Avante Sports model. He said, "Although sports models lack in fuel efficiency, if you drive with gentle acceleration and elastic driving, you can achieve sufficiently high fuel efficiency."
The winners by category were Kang In-cheol (Domestic gasoline 2000cc and above - GM Impala), Park Hee-guk (Domestic gasoline under 2000cc - Hyundai Tucson), Kim Young-eun (Domestic diesel 2000cc and above - Kia Sorento), Cho Byung-rae (Domestic diesel under 2000cc - GM Malibu), Lee Yul-seok (Imported gasoline - Mercedes-Benz E250), Park Young-joo (Imported diesel - Peugeot 2008), and Jung Se-hoon (Hybrid - Hyundai Grandeur Hybrid). Min, who won the grand prize, received a fuel gift certificate worth 1 million KRW and souvenirs, while the category winners each received fuel gift certificates worth 500,000 KRW.
This year’s event saw participants enjoying the competition with their families, reflecting the phased return to normal life (With Corona era).
Yoo Seon-jae (42), a participant in the domestic gasoline under 2000cc category, said, "I have been participating in the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition since 2019," adding, "This year, I also enjoyed the event with my family."
Ahn Jae-won (44), who participated with his wife and children, shared, "Although my fuel efficiency was not better than last year, I liked that the weather was warmer this year compared to previous competitions."
In line with the trend toward electrification, the competition showcased major eco-friendly vehicle lineups from domestic and international automakers, including electric vehicles Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Mercedes-Benz EQA, and the hybrid model BMW X5 45e, attracting attention.
The judges for the event included Professor Kim Pil-soo of Daelim University’s Department of Automotive Engineering and President of the Korea Eco-Drive Association, Kim Kyung-bae, Editor-in-Chief of Traffic News, Researcher Eom Myung-do of the National Institute of Environmental Research, and Specialist Lee Junho of the Korea Automobile Tuning Industry Association.
Professor Kim, who served as the head judge, said, "Thank you for driving safely despite the poor road traffic conditions," and emphasized, "Although electric vehicles have become widespread, most drivers still use internal combustion engine vehicles, so the importance of eco-friendly driving for carbon neutrality remains significant."
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