Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Travels 2,269 Miles Across America On Two Tanks of Gas

To help promote just how fuel efficient the new Sonata Hybrid is, the folks at Hyundai employed the expertise of hypermiler Wayne Gerdes. Known for achieving 1,445 miles on a single tank of gas in a Ford Fusion Hybrid and for traveling 1,065 miles in a Hyundai Sonata 4-cylinder, Gerdes was able to travel across America on just less than two tanks of fuel.

In total, the trip stretched 2,269.3 miles from San Diego, CA to Jekyll Island, GA – resulting in an average of 59.58 mpg. Getting 1,221.2 miles on the first tank and 1,048.1 miles on the second tank (with 2.5 gallons remaining), Gerdes far exceeded the 700 miles per tank and 40-mpg rating of the EPA.

In a statement released about the trip Hyundai was also eager to point out that the Sonata Hybrid was driven in less than ideal conditions, over mountains an on interstates. That helps to explain why the 59.58-mpg rating is less than the 66.285 mpg rating the non-Hybrid Sonata achieved.

Hit the jump to see the Sonata Hybrid in action and get a few hypermiling tips from Gerdes.

GALLERY: Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Across America

Read AutoGuide’s Review of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid by Clicking Here

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