[2022 Yeonbi King] Competition Successfully Concluded... "Eco-friendly Driving is Economical and Safe Driving" (Comprehensive)

15-Year-Long Korea's Largest Eco Driving Competition
Overall 1st Place Lee Jaewook... Achieves 420% Fuel Efficiency Improvement

On the 12th, award winners from each category are taking a commemorative photo at the '2022 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 Kiho Sung, Daeyeol Choi, Hyunseok Yoo] The '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition,' which selects the best eco-friendly driver in Korea, concluded successfully. This year’s competition saw an outstanding record of a 420% improvement in fuel efficiency.

Held on the 12th at the Korea Expressway Corporation's Seoul Metropolitan Headquarters, the Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition began in 2008 and has now reached its 15th edition, with over 1,100 teams and more than 6,100 participants, making it the largest eco-driving competition in Korea. This year, a total of 59 teams participated.

The competition course covers a total distance of 106.4 km (approximately 90 minutes for a 70 km drive). The route starts from Seo Hanam IC, passes Hanam JCT, the 2nd Jungbu Expressway, Hobeop JCT, turns around at Deokpyeong Rest Area, then goes through Singal JCT, Seoul TG, Pangyo JCT, Seongnam TG, and returns to Seo Hanam IC.

To ensure fair judging, the competition was divided by vehicle type and engine displacement. The categories included ▲Domestic gasoline vehicles over 1600CC ▲Domestic gasoline vehicles under 1600CC and hybrids ▲Domestic diesel vehicles over 2000CC ▲Domestic diesel vehicles under 2000CC ▲Imported gasoline vehicles ▲Imported diesel vehicles, totaling six groups. Additionally, a non-competitive electric vehicle race was held.

The overall grand prize winner, Jaewook Lee (imported gasoline vehicle, Maserati Quattroporte S Q4), set an astonishing record of a 420% improvement in fuel efficiency.

On the 12th, participants in the '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, arrived at the turnaround point at Deokpyeong Natural Rest Area in the Incheon direction and confirmed their passage. Photo by Jinhyung Kang, Icheon aymsdream@

Mr. Lee said, "I usually pay a lot of attention to fuel-efficient driving," adding, "This was my third time participating, and the key to winning was conducting two prior reconnaissance trips."

The winners in each category were Seongjoong Jung (domestic gasoline over 1600CC, Genesis DH330), Kyungdo Noh (domestic gasoline under 1600CC and hybrid, Hyundai Grandeur Hybrid), Jeongsu Seo (domestic diesel over 2000CC, Hyundai Veracruz), Gunwoo Kim (domestic diesel under 2000CC, Chevrolet Trax 1.6 Diesel), Byunghwi Kang (imported gasoline, BMW 320i), and Jaesung Kim (imported diesel, Mercedes-Benz GLC220 d 4MATIC).

Mr. Lee, the grand prize winner, received a fuel gift certificate worth approximately 1 million KRW and souvenirs, while the six group winners each received fuel gift certificates worth 500,000 KRW.

Jaesung Kim, the winner in the imported diesel category, shared, "I tried to keep the driving as steady as possible," and added, "Even if the distance between cars was large, I drove stably without speeding, which I think was key."

Jeongsu Seo, winner of the domestic diesel over 2000CC category, said, "I tried to maintain momentum driving continuously and avoid stopping as much as possible to keep a smooth flow," adding, "Fortunately, the traffic conditions today were smoother than usual, which also helped."

The competition also showcased various eco-friendly vehicles. Participants were seen boarding and inspecting the displayed electric cars, taking photos, reflecting the growing interest in eco-friendly vehicles. The event featured displays of Hyundai Motor Company's premium brand Genesis GV60 and G80 electrified models, Mercedes-Benz EQB, Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, Polestar 2, and Chevrolet Bolt EV.

On the 12th, participants are refueling and inspecting their vehicles at the '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province. / Hanam = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The judges for the event included Professor Pilsoo Kim of Daelim University’s Department of Automotive Engineering and President of the Korea Eco-Drive Association, Kyungbae Kim, Editor-in-Chief of Traffic News, Myungdo Eom, Research Fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Research, and Junho Lee, Specialist at the Korea Automobile Tuning Industry Association.

Professor Kim, the head judge, commented, "The participants’ results and skill levels have been upgrading every year," and added, "Especially this year’s competition produced high scores considering various other factors."

The 2022 Fuel Efficiency King Competition was hosted by Asia Economy Newspaper and sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Korea Expressway Corporation, among others. The competition was planned in 2008 to elevate the eco-driving movement to a nationwide project amid growing interest in eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrids and electric cars.