Honda Sets World Record for Fuel Efficiency – 100 MPG
LONDON, UK, July 9, 2015 (ENS) – Honda has earned a new Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency. In a 25 day drive across all of the European Union’s contiguous countries, a Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC diesel averaged 2.82 liters per 100km (100.31 miles per gallon).
Fergal McGrath, left, and Julian Warren with the record-setting Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC (Photo courtesy Honda)
The 13,498 kilometer (8,387 mile) drive took the test car across 24 EU countries. The car can travel only by road, so the route did not extend to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta.
Behind the wheel were two members of Honda’s European Research & Development team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, who have worked together at Honda for the past 18 years.
The distance they travelled is the equivalent of driving to Australia from the UK, stopping just nine times to refuel.
The car averaged 1,500km (932 miles) on each tank of diesel fuel.
The total fuel cost for the journey was just 645 Euros (US$713).
The team set out on their road trip from Aalst, Belgium, on June 1, navigating the continent in a clockwise direction.
They returned to Aalst on June 25, recording the fuel economy figures, which exceed the Tourer’s quoted efficiency of 3.8 liters per 100km (74.3mpg), by more than 25 percent.
“It was tough, but we really enjoyed it, and setting this new Guinness World Records title has made all of the hard work worthwhile,” said McGrath.
“This was a huge team effort so I’d like to thank everyone involved for all of their commitment and support. After spending so much time behind the wheel Julian and I are just happy to be back behind our desks for a while!” he said.
Under the rules the same two drivers must be in the car for the whole trip, giving McGrath and Warren, based in the UK, the challenge of driving an average of 600km, taking around 7.5 hours, each day.
Based on rigorous guidelines, the Guinness World Records title attempt required the car to enter each of the 24 countries. The Honda team collected a range of evidence, including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video and photographs and independent witness signatures to prove that it went to all 24 countries.
To ensure accurate monitoring of the route, journey time and distance driven, the record car was fitted with a tracking device, provided by fleet telematics and stolen vehicle recovery expert, TRACKER, part of the Tantalum Corporation.
Fueling was carried out at regular filling stations, with the tank of the standard, unmodified car filled to the maximum at each stop to ensure no weight advantage. Tires were inflated to the recommended pressures and the wheel alignment set to factory specification to represent the experience of the regular customer.
McGrath and Warren, both amateur drivers, used logical methods to surpass the record. They planned their route carefully, drove smoothly and consistently without harsh acceleration or braking, they anticipated the road conditions ahead, carrying no unnecessary weight, and ensuring that the car was correctly maintained at all times. Driving speed was always within the law and keeping up with traffic conditions.
Honda Motor Europe’s Communications Manager Kate Saxton said, “This is an incredible achievement and the team should all be very proud of the efforts that they have put in to set this new Guinness World Record.”
“Driving the equivalent distance from their home in the UK to Australia in just 25 days is a huge challenge very few would take on,” said Saxton.
“The fuel economy figures are remarkable,” she said, “particularly when you consider that this is not a small car, but a tourer with class-leading load space and vast practicality.”
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