How do I know this? Look at this site. This guy has modified his car. Sure, I can’t do any of that. If I tried the whole thing would fall apart out of spite. But he did. And his mpg went to 95! 95 mpg at 65 mph For most of us that would mean that gas would not cost $3 per 25 miles, but $3 for 95 miles or under a dollar for 25 miles.
Some of his changes could easily be made by the auto industry.
Mirrors on the inside? Why not?
More efficient use of the electrical system? Piece of cake.
Aerodynamic shaping around the tires, front and back. I think it should be possible.
My guess is that reducing turbulence around the tires and using LED headlights would get the auto industry to the new CAFE standards.
I salute basjoos who has the aerocivic. But I am not saying we should all mod our cars. As I wrote above, if I tried the whole car would fall apart. But basjoos, you should be an inspiration to the automotive engineers out there in Detroit, Japan and everywhere else they get in their little boxy windbreakers.
because it is probably not safe or legal. that’s why.
Getting to 95 is harder than you think.
What you are noticing is the obvious stuff, like the aerodynamic shaping. Things that will earn you a few percent here and there. Give it to an H2 hummer and that’ll mean the difference between 9.6 mpg and 10 mpg.
A *great deal* of his savings comes from coasting and extremely selective use of the brakes. He drives the same route all the time, and he knows when to accelerate and how to time his velocity to avoid most of the “unnecessary” braking.
The biggest hits to his mileage come from stoplights, stop signs, and people cutting him off.
These aren’t exactly the kinds of things that the auto industry can control.
CAFÉ standards are hard on the auto industry because they are already heading for bankruptcy. They have to maintain the high standard of living for the top executives. High CAFÉ standard require advanced auto engineering and design which translates into higher production costs. This also means that these 6000 lbs SUV tanks have to go the way of the Dodo. While the Japanese and European auto makers have been building economy cars for their markets we have been trying to see who can build the biggest vehicle. The retooling costs to move from current large heavy non fuel efficient vehicles has to really cut into the bottom line. The management mentality in this country only sees as far as the next bonus.
I enjoy your Blog. 95 MPG is very, very difficult. In fact, it’s not currently possible. The good news is that the Government is only calling for 35 MPG which is very easily possible. In the year 2010, GM will introduce the Plug Hybrid Saturn Vue which will be the first car to allow for 10 miles of driving on charge alone, and then will convert instantly to a high-efficiency hybrid getting about 40 MPG. For many Americans, 10 “free†miles will be all that they need and they will rarely ever use fuel while driving a vehicle of this sort. Others will need to wait for the Volt family of cars which will finally make 95 MPG possible to people who drive 50-100 miles per day. The Volt will go 40 miles on electric only. Toyota is rumored to be planning a plug hybrid version of the Prius as well, but has not yet confirmed.
Ford recently unveiled a new type of engine combustion that improves mileage by 20% while maintaining power – that’s huge! Imagine paring that to a hybrid, or better yet, a plug hybrid.
I would like to also add that personal driving style contributes dramatically to Mileage.
I’m a member of the forum that basjoos posted this “aero-civic” on.
Saying that 95mpg is impossible is far from correct. In fact, I venture to say that if more Americans got their heads out of their proverbial arse, and actually learned how to drive, instead of thinking that they need to go as fast as possible all the time, cut people off, drive dangerously close to one another, and generally act like anuses on speed while operating their over-priced, over sized phone booth (Both figuratively and technically, since most of you can’t keep off your damn phone long enough to slow down for a yellow light.) maybe, just maybe, you would believe that 95mpg is attainable.
Turn to yourself and consider the fact that in NJ, of all places, a bone stock prius managed to attain 109 MPG with an average speed of 45 mph. 109! Granted, your going to say “Yea, but that’s a hybrid.”
And I’m going to tell you that it’s no matter. The people who operated that car adjusted their driving to do exactly the opposite of the hybrid systems intentions. They hardly used the electric motor. Pulse and glide driving doesn’t allow the electric motor to be used.
Next thing from your mouth is “Pulse and glide driving isn’t safe!”
Rebuttle: Yes, it is perfectly safe. Especially when you factor in that while you’re talking on your cell phone, not paying attention, your speed varies at least 10 mph randomly… more than enough to use the pulse and glide idea to your advantage.
There is nothing you can say that will convince a person who actually knows anything that 95mpg is “impossible” or even “currently unachievable”. You’ll be wrong, regardless. There are too many of us getting 50% more than the EPA ever thought we could to begin with.
Challenge: Take a baby beast – like a Dodge Dakota, and see what aeromodding can do for it.
Side Benefit besides less fuel use – Quieter! Turbulence (from the air tripping off the back of the cab into the usual box vorticies that make a tornado out of powder snow in the open box) is now smoothed out and sent back to the tailgate where it is a smaller fall off. The smoother airflow is therfore not making all that usual noise. Quiter = less drag = more fuel efficient. Think of the efficiency of a glider (Basic Trainer) versus a high performance Sailplane (1-seat, 50+ feet of travel per 1 foot of Sink) Very quiet inside while termalling and while crossing between thermals at higher speeds.
As to the pulse and glide idea, I trided it in my 2005 Chevy Optra Wagon, going east from Bracebridge, Ontario to Bancroft. On that trip I drove some 270 kms before the full gas gauge needle moved off the full peg, where it usually left and started down from the peg at about 150 kms. I should have fill up the tank in that down, but I did not – I drove from there (Bankcroft) down to the 401, and back west to Toronto, with a stop of to visit an aquointance and test drive his Honda Insight, before continuing back towards Toronto, with a detour up the 404 to Markham, Ontario, for a job to take care of, and then back down the 404 and over to Downsview, before refueling and filling the tank, and STILL got about 30%+ better than my usual average. I did not have a Scangage yet but I had been learning soem things from the hypermilers that I had tested on the trip, yeilding about 60% Better initial range on that trip.
But, ins spite of all that – I still like my electricfly for little trips, even thought the heater, while installed, is not yet wired up.
if some rubber necker paralleling you is going slow enough to hold up traffic ( as stated) then you are going slow enough to hold up traffic.
just look at this picture and tell me pulse and glide and or slowing way down doesnt cause a safety issue
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/MikeMariettaSC/media/80MPG%20Honda%20Civic/P1010014.jpg.html?sort=3&o=21