Kia gears up for fuel economy record

Two motorists are preparing to drive a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid into the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records this week as they aim to set a new record for lowest fuel consumption (in a petrol hybrid car) while driving through all 48 adjoining states of America.

The journey will cover 8000 miles of American soil in a factory-standard Kia Optima Hybrid four-door car. The drivers, Wayne Gerdes and his colleague and friend Chris Bernius, will depart from Kia’s manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia on Aug 26 and are expected to complete this fuel economy run in South Carolina on Sept 10.