Think your vehicle is fuel-efficient? How do you compare to the winner of the Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011?
Team Fireball managed to squeeze out 8,571 miles per gallon. You read that right. A vehicle that efficient can travel the circumference of the globe on 2.9 gallons of fuel (that’s about 24,900 miles). Talk about fuel efficiency!
This is the 31st annual running of the Honda Eco Mileage Challenge. In their first running in 1981, the winning team got 292.5 km/l, or 688 mpg. Ten years ago, the winning team set another record with 3,432.325 km/l, or 8,073.329 mpg. That record stood for the past ten years, until Team Fireball has now shattered it.
The challenge was held at Twin Ring Motegi Circuit. The 412 participants ran the track three times at about 15.5 mph using Honda’s 50-cc gasoline engine. (That’s the engine more frequently found in the Honda Cub. Then officials measured how much fuel was consumed and used that measurement to calculate their overall fuel economy.
Don’t expect to see any version of Team Fireball’s vehicle on the market. These vehicles lack amenities. And you would certainly turn heads with their interesting design. While you might not be able to achieve such high fuel efficiency in your current car, you can increase your fuel efficiency by driving safer, reducing your car’s load and taking proper care of your car by following the maintenance guidelines in your manual.
