Students from Brigham Young University (BYU) designed a car which can travel almost 1,700 miles on as little as one gallon of fuel. The super-vehicle took part in the SAE Supermileage Competition last weekend (6-7th June, 2013) in Michigan.
As part of the competition requirements, the students had to maximize the fuel efficiency of a lawn-mower engine. The BYU team added an innovative ceramic insulation and modified the engine to be electronically controlled. In addition, they reduced the weight of the car with the impressive 22 pounds by making their own starter and switching the battery.
The event has been taking place annually for the past 34 years and challenges teams from various Universities in North America to create the most fuel-efficient vehicle. Each team is provided with 20 grams of fuel and has to cover a 10-mile track at an average speed of 15 miles an hour.
In an interview before the competition, the team members were convinced that they will be able to hit the 2,000 miles per gallon. They were certain that they have the winning combination of increased engine efficiency and reduced weight of the car.
Last year, the BYU team with Caroline Sorenson behind the wheel finished second. Let’s hope they indeed managed beat this and impress the judges and the hundreds of spectators.
The official scores will soon be released on the official site of the SAE Supermileage very soon.
