A team of drivers that includes Carl Edwards and Wayne Gerdes will attempt to drive a one thousand mile course while averaging at least 57 mpg in the new 2010 Fusion Hybrid.
Earth Day 2009
Here at LotPro.com, we want to wish everyone a happy Earth Day. And what better way to do this than to pass along a story from Ford Motor Company regarding an upcoming attempt by a team of drivers – including NASCAR ace Carl Edwards – to drive 1,000 miles on a single tank of 87 octane gas.
The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25th from the town of Mount Vernon, Virginia (where George used to live) and will finish in Washington, D.C. (the district named after him) on Monday, April 27th. During that time, a team of 6 drivers will take turns driving 2-3 hour shifts and will drive more than 43 continuous hours. The vehicle they will be driving is a factory produced Fusion Hybrid with no modifications or alterations. Rounding out the driving team that consists of Edwards and Wayne Gerdes, founder of www.cleanmpg.com is Sherif Marakby, graduate of Maryland University and Ford hybrid chief engineer; Gil Portalatin, Ford hybrid applications manager and Ford Fusion Hybrid team leader; Tom Rolewicz, one of Ford’s top calibration experts and hybrid system expert; and Steve Burke, Ford product expert on hybrid applications.
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Although the challenge is not a slam-dunk by any means, Ford engineers have achieved 70 mpg during testing of the Fusion Hybrid in preparation for the event.
Hypermiling
In order to achieve maximum mileage, drivers will be using the following techniques:
• 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
In addition to raising the awareness of the company’s latest green vehicle, Ford is also using the challenge to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in the process. How’s that for a win-win?
For more information
The team will be uploading regular images and video to YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter.
Tags: carl edwards, earth day, facebook, flickr, Ford, Ford Fusion, ford fusion hybrid, ford motor company, hybrid, jdrf, juvenile diabetes research foundation, nascar, twitte, wayne gerdes, you tube
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