Greenpeace Says
Greenpeace said on July 4 that it has found that 10 models from Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. failed to pass a German exhaust gas emission test.
In a press release, the non-profit environmental organization said the 10 models from the carmakers that were tested between 2015 and 2018 all exceeded the permitted nitrogen oxide emissions standard.
In a real-driving exhaust gas emission test conducted by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt or KBA) of Germany and the German environmental group DUH, the 10 models from Hyundai Motor and Kia emitted more harmful exhaust gases than in the laboratory certification test, exceeding the emissions standard, Greenpeace said.
Greenpeace also disclosed the results of a nitrogen oxide emission test on five of the 10 models (the i20, the ix30, the Santa Fe, the Tucson, and the Sorento). According to the data, nitrogen oxide emissions from the five models reached a minimum of 4.1 times (the Tucson) and a maximum of 11.2 times (the i20) compared to the Euro 6 standard of 80 mg per km.
Greenpeace demanded Hyundai and Kia disclose the detailed results of the inspections and investigations in Germany and whether they used illegal exhaust gas devices in other markets, including Korea.
At the same time, the global environmental group urged the two carmakers to stop their greenwashing behavior of acting as if they were eco-friendly companies while they actually are focusing on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles. It also urged them to stop selling internal combustion engine vehicles in the global market by 2030.