Skip to main content

World record 1,626 miles on one tank of diesel

By


Apparently not happy with collecting over 40 world driving fuel economy records, the husband and wife team of John and Helen Taylor – also known as “the world’s most fuel efficient couple” – have been back on the road to claim the world record for the longest distance traveled on a single tank of fuel. The record 1,626.1 mile (2,616.95 km) journey was achieved in a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat powered by a 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel inline four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission.

The Taylors’ three-day trip started from Houston, Texas, on May 3, and took them through nine states before the tank of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel ran dry in Sterling, Virginia, on May 5. Over the three-day journey, they averaged 84.1 miles per gallon (2.79 L/100 km), and outdid the previous record of 1,526.6 miles (2,456.82 km) on a single tank of diesel achieved by a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion diesel in Europe.
In an effort to conduct the world record attempt under real world driving conditions, the couple packed 120 lbs (54.4 kg) of luggage and drove during daylight hours. They also took turns driving and traveled a maximum of 14 hours per day.
The Passat’s speedometer and odometer were calibrated by a state certified testing station in Houston, with law enforcement officers on hand to validate mileage, fuel fill-up, and gas tank sealing before the Taylor’s set out. Upon reaching Sterling, Virginia Sheriff’s Deputy verified the car’s mileage before removing the fuel tank seal.
A list of John and Helen’s latest driving records, along with tips to maximize fuel economy, can be seen on their Eco2Driving website.
Source: Volkswagen


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AQUA TEK S – the first waterproof, ruggedized, solar-powered battery case for iPhone

By
If you're hoping to attract investors to get yet another iPhone case to an already crowded market, it had better do more than just protect a phone from bumps and scrapes. Snow Lizard Products is giving itself the best possible chance of raising funds for its new AQUA TEK S case for  iPhone 4  and  4S  with an offering that not only boasts ruggedized protection, but also includes a solar panel, built in battery, and is waterproof up to 20 ft (6 m). Aimed at outdoorsy types who want to stay connected when heading off the beaten track, the case features a waterproof and dirt resistant poly-carbonate ruggedized casing that packs its own built-in battery to extend the life of the the iPhone. The company is still investigating the best battery to fit the form factor so the capacity of the unit hasn't yet been finalized, but it will be able to recharge from the power of the Sun via the solar panel built into the rear of the case. The encased iPhone can also be recharg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nanogenerator that harnesses energy from tires friction

By
Engineers from the  University of Wisconsin-Madison  along with a collaborator from China have created a new nanogenerator that harnesses energy from the friction caused by rolling tires. Xudong Wang has developed a new way to harvest energy from rolling tires (Credit: The College of Engineering) As a novel energy reusing method, the nanogenerator could be potentially used by auto-mobile manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their vehicles. The first of its kind, nanogenerator was published in the Nano Energy journal. The research was carried out by Xudong Wang, the Harvey D. Spangler fellow and an associate professor of materials science and engineering at UW-Madison, and his PhD student Yanchao Mao for about one year. Based on the triboelectric effect, the nanogenerator can harness energy resulting from the electric potential created between a vehicle's wheels and the pavement. The triboelectric effect is the electric charge generated due to the rubbing...
Post a Comment
Read more

DoubleBack adds a sliding pod to VW's Transporter van

By
It was over thirty years ago that Volkswagen first started offering "pop tops" on its camper vans. In the years since, the soft-sided interior height-extenders have become a common sight on VW vans parked in campgrounds all over the world. Now, Welsh company Overlander Motorhomes is offering what it sees as the logical compliment to the pop top - it's the DoubleBack, a sliding insulated pod that extends the interior length of Volkwagen's T5 Transporter van.    The company starts with a stock 2.0TDI 140PS Long Wheelbase T5 van, then adds its patented DoubleBack pod package. When on the road, the pod stays tucked up inside the back of the vehicle. Once the driver stops and decides they'd like to settle down someplace, however, it electrically extends out of the rear in under 45 seconds, adding approximately two meters (6.5 feet) of useable interior space. Two legs also fold out from the bottom of the pod, which allow it to support up 600 kilograms (1,323 l...
Post a Comment
Read more