A team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star have driven a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles (2313.12 km) on a single 17.5 US gallon (66.24 Liter) tank of gasoline using Eco-Driving techniques. That's an average of 81.5 mpg (2.88 l/100 km), not bad from a totally standard production car. The 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., the car finally ran out of gas and battery power on April 28th at 5:37 am EST in Washington, D.C.
The distance surpassed Ford's target by over 40% in a PR exercise designed to highlight the role of the driver in achieving fuel efficiency as well as to showcase the car (and raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process).
The team crossed the 1000 mile mark with NASCAR star Carl Edwards behind the wheel, fresh from his barrel rolling exhibition at Talladega, and the team also included world-record breaking Wayne Gerdes who has turned hypermiling into a sport (the record is 2,254.4 miles – 3,607 km – on a single tank of fuel set in a 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid in 2006).
* Eco-driving tips: Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum
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