I want one. 8000 miles to the gallon

[roguevalley]

British inventor claims to have made world's most fuel efficient car

Fri May 12, 1:06 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - A British inventor unveiled a car he claims is the world's most fuel efficient -- capable of doing 8,000 miles (12,875 km) to the gallon (4.5 litres). Andy Green, 45, spent just 2,000 pounds (2,925 euros or 3,732 US dollars) over two years creating the three-wheeled contraption in his spare time.

The car, named "TeamGreen," is 3.1 metres (10 feet 2 inches) long and a mere 0.6 metres (2 feet) wide, weighing just 30 kilograms (four stone). "It's a labour of love," said Green, a technician in the mechanical engineering department of Bath University, south-west England. "I think the car is important because it is a reminder to us all that the way to achieve fuel-savings is to drive lighter cars -- it's the weight of this car that is the main reason for its fuel-efficiency," he said.

Green's car is powered by a single cylinder four-stroke engine with a capacity of just 35 cc. It will be the only British entry in a global competition in France later this month to decide the world's most fuel-economic car. The winner of the Shell Eco-Marathon championships will be the car that runs the longest on an average speed of 30 kilometres per hour (18 miles per hour).

Two women, chosen for their slight frames, have been selected to drive the Briton's invention for the three-day event. Green is already a seasoned inventor of environmentally friendly motors, of which "TeamGreen" is his fourth. He holds the British record for fuel-efficiency, having achieved 6,603 miles to the gallon in one of his previous cars.

Rule Britannia!

[slor]

1. Hell, I would be happy with...

300 miles per gallon.

[tomreedtoon]

2. Show me the evidence by real scientists.

Magazines like Popular Mechanics and Popular Science have, since the 60's I think, run pictures of "super saver" cars that get astonishing miles per gallon. They never get made and they never reappear in those magazines.

Sure, it's possible that the big auto makers and oil companies have suppressed these inventions, but there's an even more likely reason - these inventions are outright lies.

Example; for years, in Disney's old "World of Motion" exhibit, they showed a three-wheel vehicle called the Lean Machine. It got a supposed 200 miles per gallon, it was enclosed and had plenty of room for one commuter and a load of groceries, and looked sweet. Only problem, not mentioned in the exhibit - it rolled over worse than an SUV and couldn't recover from skids.

It does look like the design has been picked up or imitated in Britain, with a similar-looking vehicle in limited production. Could they have whipped those vehicle stability problems? Or could it be another attempt by an inventor to promote himself for fifteen seconds of fame, with another failed gimmick?

Show me the documentation, then I'll show you the money.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. There have been scams, but...

just like in the old Mobil Economy Runs where stock Ford Fairlanes were modified in ways you couldn't use on the street, these machines are designed simply to get great mileage on a specific course, and can't possibly be made street legal or put into production.

The contests exist, as do the machines, but the point is to stretch the technology to the limits just to see what happens. Some of it could be put to use, just like a little Honda racing technology ends up in Accords.

[Jade Fox]

3. Even if it only works half as well....

as claimed, I think I can live with 4000 miles per gallon!

[Orsino]

5. Heh. And you could feel superior to...

...those drivers of 3,000 mpg gas guzzlers. :+

[Jade Fox]

6. LOL!

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. !

:evilgrin:

[Cleita]

4. Does it have pedals on it?

eom

[many a good man]

8. Is this a picture of it???

[Jade Fox]

10. So that's what happened to that Peugeot I had!

[Solon]

11. No, but that's a future for private transportation in this country. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

12. I was looking for a foto like that!

Thanks!

[Neoma]

9. That's quite interesting.

Now i just need proof.

[0007]

13. The oil people hate this guy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. The record holder is French - 10,705 miles per gallon

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=eco-marathon-en&FC2=/eco-marathon-en/html/iwgen/sem_about/history/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/eco-marathon-en/html/iwgen/sem_about/history/sem_about_history.html

in 2003.

[TheFarseer]

15. Doesn't sound that practical

I'd go for one of those plug-in hybrids that are said to get 250 mpog.