As gas prices continue to skyrocket, the importance of fuel-efficient vehicles can’t be emphasized enough. Luckily, the Cambridge Design Partnership just unveiled a hypermiling concept car that can travel an astonishing 1,325 miles on a single gallon of diesel! While most green vehicles are tested through a series of intense trials, this concept car was put through its paces by an 11 year old Cambridgeshire girl at the annual Mileage Marathon Challenge at Mallory Park.
The vehicle was designed to promote engineering and technology and to educate school and college students about the benefits of eco-friendly vehicle concepts. Test driver Kitty Foster, 11, of Kings School, Ely said of the test drive, “When I told my parents how far this car could go on a gallon of fuel they were absolutely amazed! It wasn’t too hard. The Go system helped me use as little fuel as possible. It monitored the car’s performance, which helped us know when to stop the engine and start coasting.”
“The GPS information made a big difference and added 150 mpg. The whole car was great fun to drive. It’s good to see cars getting more environmentally friendly, and I’m really pleased we’ve done so well in the challenge’.
Cambridge Design Partnership used elements from its own lightweight oxygen concentrator, as well as other in-house technologies, to create the unique car. The oxygen generator system was originially developed to treat injured soldiers, but in the car it is powered by an innovative micro-diesel-engine. The car also features low-friction tires to increase mileage.
The car also uses a unique ‘Go’ real-time tracking service that allows the Cambridge team to optimise the car’s systems. The Go technology has previously been used to track the Tour of Britain cycle race. Stephen Lamb, the MoD project leader from CDP added: “This is about more than just an ultra-eco-friendly car. This supports what our technologies can achieve.”
“We quickly realized that our R & D work for the MoD, creating an oxygen generator, was highly applicable to the Mileage Marathon Challenge. Both required an extremely efficient system that used very low power and could run off diesel. Now I just need to figure out how to make my own car get the same kind of mileage!”
Here’s hoping they can make a version with more than one seat.
+ Cambridge Design Partnership
Via Business Weekly
Now switch the engine for bicycle pedals and a chain and you’re looking close to infinite MPG!
Oh yeah, THAT car is a real chick-magnet.
How fast can it go? Before I buy one I want it to be faster than a bicycle.
Congrats on achieving a really high MPG! But, none of that would seem to apply to the real world with a 4-door sedan that needs to haul kids and groceries in an urban landscape.
“Congrats on achieving a really high MPG! But, none of that would seem to apply to the real world with a 4-door sedan that needs to haul kids and groceries in an urban landscape.”
It is a CONCEPT CAR… It has nothing to do with real world uses. The concepts used in the creation of this automobile can go toward improving existing technology and help to increase the mileage on future automobiles. This is amazing news and should be cheered and appreciated for what it is!!!
Excellent work to all those involved in this project!
I think they used an 11 year old girl to save one weight…
I think they used an 11 year old girl to save on weight… and she’s probably the only one who could fit in the car.
There is very little in this concept car that can translate to the real-world that we did not already know about aerodynamics and propulsion. It is indeed a neat project, but it needs to be kept in perspective.
No, this car will not work in the “real-world”
But soon our “real-world” will have no choice but too get real.
Then the unreal will rule!!!
Congratulations for your contribution to the new energy efficiency philosophy that the world needs to adopt for a sustainable future!