Gas Mileage: Improving Gas Mileage - Interesting Facts And Figures

Improving Gas Mileage - Interesting Facts And Figures

By Automotive Editor

Here we present some interesting facts and figures that will help you decide whether or not automobiles are improving gas mileage ...

The International institute of Highway Safety recently released its list of the safer cars on the road. While they took the time to show a great spread between small cars, sedans, and trucks, the gas mileage numbers were pretty abysmal. Most of the cars listed were in the mid-teens for both surface street and highway driving, with some of the top performers reaching 24 miles per gallon! This is ludicrous.

What’s Going On?

Recently, Seattle resident Evan McMullen fished a Florida car out of a junk heap and was astounded to learn that it got a cool 376 miles per gallon. Guess when this record was set: 1973, in a contest by Shell oil. Twenty-five years later, the 1959 Opel sporting a steel frame isn’t much to look at, but it’s still got the record. It makes the 30- and 40- mpg gas mileage of hybrids look pretty puny.

Technology…Of The 70’s?

How did they manage this amazing feat of gas mileage? Well, the car is a four-cylinder. The secret is the method of heating and insulating the fuel line. When the gas enters the engine, it has been pressurized to the extent that it’s actually vapor! That’s how you get great gas mileage. That, and driving the car at a steady 30 miles per hour.

What Happened To The Opel?

Well, it was purchased by the same people who own NASCAR, that’s right, the French! Somehow, however, the car never made the drive over the Atlantic Ocean, so it sat in Florida for the remainder of the last 25 years, donated to a Talladega museum. McMullen stumbled across the car and made it his own.

Other Fits and Starts

Even 276-mpg chop shop models aside, there is gas mileage technology that your neighborhood hippy has known for years. Diesel fuel! That’s right, even now, diesel continues to best hybrids at their own game of gas mileage. Diesel doesn’t burn as completely as gasoline does, which takes away from its explosivity. Unfortunately, that’s been a major snag in the US. Not so in Europe, where gas (or “petrol”) has long been far too expensive to choose style over function for most people.

The Electric Car

There is also the famous case of the electric car, which is now seeing a renaissance in vehicles like the Chinese Flybo and Chevy Volt. But you may also remember that the electric car came along with a perfect gas mileage (no gas necessary!) score only a matter of years ago. Thanks to an indifferent public and poorly handled marketing, they were never mass- produced.

Next article: Choosing The Best Gas Mileage SUV

Email this page to a friend

Featured Used Cars Product:

	American Auto Bargains And Auto Auctions Research Site
	American Auto Bargains is the Internet's #1 automotive auction site. Research all car makes and models before you buy and get up to 90% off the book value in some deals! Click here for more details ...

More Articles About Used Cars ...

Setting A Price To Sell Your Used Vehicle
If you have a vehicle to offer to buyers, you need to know how to set a price to sell your used vehicle. It doesn't matter if it is a large car, small car, pickup truck, recreational vehicle, motorcycle...

Give Your Car The Extra Edge With A Custom Car Part
Using a custom car part to spice up or improve your car can be very rewarding. After all, there is nothing quite like a “souped up” car. But before you go on a buying spree at your local garage, consider...

Determine How Much Car You Can Afford With The Help Of Online Calculators
If you need to purchase a new or used car, truck or other type of vehicle but don't know exactly how much you can fit into your budget, there is help. Online calculators help determine how much car you...

For more information about Used Cars-related resources, see our Used Cars resources section, subscribe to our Used Cars Newsletter containing news, updates and insider tips, or go to more articles about Gas Mileage.

***