2,843.4 mpg: Student-built vehicle breaks mileage mark

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.reliableplant.com/article.asp?pagetitle=2,843.4%20mpg:%20Student-built%20vehicle%20breaks%20mileage%20mark&articleid=11457

2,843.4 mpg: Student-built vehicle breaks mileage mark

Author: RP news wires

"Ladies and gentlemen, start your fuel-efficient engines" were the words that kicked off the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas; and that's exactly what more than 300 students from Canada, Mexico and the United States did on April 12. Mater Dei High School of Evansville, Ind., set a new mileage record at the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas, a challenge to design, build and test fuel-efficient prototype vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel.

The team's combustion-engine prototype vehicle achieved an astonishing 2,843.4 miles per gallon, equivalent to 1,208.6 kilometers per liter. Despite wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour and various teams' mechanical issues, competition was steep this year with three teams breaking the 2007 mileage record set by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

"When we first arrived, I wasn't sure a small high school like Mater Dei could compete with all these elite colleges," said Justin Stute, Mater Dei High School team captain. "But our first run broke the record and then our second car did even better. That really motivated both of our teams to go all the way."

Mark Singer, global project manager for the Shell Eco-marathon said, "Students participating in this competition are the brains of the future, stretching the boundaries of fuel efficiency and providing solutions to the global energy challenge. Throughout the two-day competition, teams are constantly making improvements to their vehicles, exchanging ideas and inspiring one another to pay attention to their own energy footprint."

...

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=us-en&FC2=/us-en/html/iwgen/leftnavs/zzz_lhn7_4_0.html&FC3=/us-en/html/iwgen/society_environment/ecomarathon_shared/eco_marathon_americas.html