8,000 MPG (mile per gallon) car
Well, these days with gas prices climbing and unstable, the media is always on the lookout for related stories. When the headline blared 8,000 MPG car…. I knew there had to be either 1) a tremendous technological breakthrough with hybrid gas/electrics… or 2) a SERIOUS catch. Skynews has the story on what may go down as the most fuel effecient vehicle on record. To call it a car though might be a stretch from the photo. It looks more like a luge sled of sorts, enclosing the driver and running close to the ground (those are the wheels visible in the photo when you get there.) The driver, lays down….
The vehicle (I refrain from calling it a car at this point….) weighs about the same as a 9 year old boy and this lightweight design is touted as one of the great reasons for it’s effeciency. As well as it’s motor….
The new vehicle is powered by a single cylinder four-stroke engine with a capacity of just 35cc and runs with a special management system incorporating fuel injection.
It will compete against 250 teams from around the world for the Shell Eco-Marathon championships in France from May 19.
The article ALSO notes that the vehicle must be driven at an average speed of 18MPH according to the rules of the Shell Eco-Marathon.
So the real secret here is… lightweight structure with effecient engine design. So, if you want to better your gas mileage toss some of that ballast overboard? Not much of a surprise I guess. It is impressive to see 8000 miles per gallon squeezed out of such a setup though.