The SAE International Supermileage Challenge is an annual event held for North American and Canadian engineering and technology students which has them competing to create the most fuel-efficient single-person vehicle. 

Students from the University of Michigan are hoping the raise the bar one notch higher, they are working to create a sleek and aerodynamic ride capable of an incredible 3,300 mpg (US). They plan to use a modified and ground breaking fuelling system, ideal for small engines together with a carbon-fiber and acrylic body to keep weight down. The team’s goal of 3,300 MPG is firmly set at crushing the current North American record of 3,169 MPG which was set in 2008 by a team from Laval Universite.

“Since those single-person vehicles are the primary mode of transportation in many third-world countries, it could have a resounding impact on emissions,” said Brett Merkel, a senior in mechanical engineering at University of Michigan’s Supermileage Team.

All entries in the Supermileage Challenge must use a small four stroke lawnmower engine and run a set 1.6 mile course. They are judged on their overall fuel efficiency together with points added for innovate design. 

The event was founded in 1980 with  27 teams from American and Canadian universities competing in 2011. Last years winner was a team from the University of Sherbrooke who averaged a staggering 2,158 miles per gallon. This years event will take place on June 7 and 8, we’ll post the results as and when the winner/s are announced.

Check out the SAE International Supermileage Challenge website for more information.

First a Porsche pop out a diesel variant of its “marmite” Panamera capable of returning a combined 43.5 mpg and now this!

Behold the Porshe 918 Spyder Hybrid Prototype, on paper its a mighty impressive and exclusive super car. With a top speed of 199mph and packing a whopping 770 hp who could ask for more, well how about 78MPG?

The 918 Spyder will come in the form of a plug-in hybrid much like the Toyota Prius. It will feature a 500 horsepower 4.0-liter V8 engine and two electric motors, all three power plants will help propel the Eco rocket to 62 miles an hour in a Prius beating slapping 3.1 seconds. Don’t expect it to come cheap, Porsche has confirmed it will come with a $845,000 price tag.

Production of the 918 will commence next year with deliveries being made by the end of 2013. That’ll give me a couple of years to save! Where do I sign?!

Read more for the full press release from Porsche

918 Spyder prototypes commence trials

Stuttgart. The Porsche 918 Spyder is on the road: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has taken the driving trials of the super sports car of the future a step further with completion of the initial prototypes. The 918 Spyder will go into production at the end of September 2013 as planned, with the first customers receiving their vehicles before 2013 is out. “What we are doing with the 918 Spyder is redefining driving fun, efficiency and performance,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board Research and Development of Porsche AG.

The prototypes, their camouflage harking back to historical Porsche 917 racing cars, signal the final touches to the 918 Spyder. The focus is on the interplay between the highly sophisticated individual drive components. The combination of combustion engine and two independent electric motors – one on the front axle and one in the drive line, acting on the rear wheels – poses completely new demands on the development of the operating strategies. “They are therefore a critical component in this vehicle into which we have put all of our expertise and capacity for innovation,” said Wolfgang Hatz. These operating strategies and the development of the software to go with them are one of Porsche’s core competences. Both of them have a major influence on the extreme driving fun to be had with the 918 Spyder and they make possible a unique combination of minimal fuel consumption and maximum performance. The initial results of the driving trials are in line with the high expectations placed on the 918 Spyder.

The super sports car is designed as a plug-in hybrid vehicle combining a high-performance combustion engine with cutting-edge electric motors for extraordinary performance: on the one hand, the dynamics of a racing machine boasting more than 770 hp, on the other hand, fuel consumption in the region of three litres per 100 kilometres. Moreover, Porsche is breaking yet more new ground with the technology demonstrator with spectacular solutions such as the full carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque with unit carrier, fully adaptive aerodynamics, adaptive rear-axle steering and the upward-venting “top pipes” exhaust system. In the process, the 918 Spyder is offering a glimpse of what Porsche Intelligent Performance may be capable of in future.

According to research by the Institute for Fiscal studies, Green motoring could hurt the Treasury motoring revenue to the tune of £13bn as fuel and road duty dries up.

The report, commissioned  by the RAC Foundation estimates that the proceeds of fuel duty will drop from 1.7% of GDP now to 1.1% of GDP by 2029, while vehicle excise duty will drop from 0.4% of GDP to 0.1%, meaning a whopping £13bn shortfall in revenue.

The government has been keen for us all to up sticks and trade in for a new “green” car and it seems that this very scheme might end up costing motorists more as the Treasury scrambles to plug the gap.

The ever increasing array of new “super” diesel and hybrid cars that emit less than 100 g/km of Co2 currently qualify for free road tax, compared to £220 a year for cars over 1549cc which were registered before 1 March 2001.

Prof Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “As drivers endure record prices at the pumps they might be surprised to learn that future governments face a ‘drought’ in motoring tax income.

“The irony is that while ministers encourage us to buy greener, leaner cars, they are being forced to look at ways of clawing back the money motorists think they will be saving. This isn’t scaremongering. The Treasury has already announced a review of VED bands to ensure drivers make a ‘fair contribution’ to the public finances even as cars become more fuel efficient”

With motoring revenues falling the Treasury will have no choice but to recoup its lost earnings somehow. Its methods can only be bad news for motorists as the UK continues to struggle with the double rip recession.

Many industy experts expect a reclassification of the road duty bandings together with increased fuel duties and road “tolls” will all play a part in propping up the governments balance book as we continue to make the shift to greener motoring.

Borrowing for car repairs is becoming increasingly common if recent reports are to be believed. Research by Ferratum, a leading provider of short term loans, showed that over half (54%) of their customers were taking loans for unexpected repairs; the majority of these repairs relating to vehicles. A similar customer poll by Aviva, a UK insurance company, showed that customers in aged 35-40, i.e. those who have been driving a while, were the most worried about the cost of car repairs. So what options are open to those who cannot afford to be caught off-guard?

Courtesy/Hire Car Cover
Many people believe they have this as standard as part of their vehicle’s insurance policy but, speaking as someone who has worked in the insurance game, I would suggest you check your small print. It is often the case that you will only be covered with a car for a certain period of time or not covered at all depending on the circumstances of your accident. For example, many people believe “Car Hire Cover” and a “Courtesy Car” are the same thing; they are not. “Car Hire Cover” only covers you in the event of a complete write-off and only for a restricted period of time. Your insurance company will always offer you extra coverage at a premium and, while you may not want to pay more, you may need to take their “exciting new cover” if you want complete coverage. While paying before an accident is a gamble, you may never need the service, it is one way to make sure you don’t have to borrow in the event of an accident.

Credit Cards
Depending on the price of the repair, and the amount of time you are able to pay it back in, a credit card can be an ideal solution. A lot of credit cards will not charge any interest on purchases that are paid back within a month, so if it is simply a case of having enough for the repair next payday then this is the way to go. Should you need to pay back the cost of repairs over a number of months it may be worth looking for a lower interest alternative.

Homeowner Loans
Homeowner loans are loans secured against the loan receiver’s property. Now, while this might seem like a lot to risk, if you can manage the loan repayments then there is no danger to your property. The main benefit of these loans is their relatively low rates of interest, usually starting at around 9.5% APR, and their flexible payment plans.

Weigh up the options and figure out which is best for you should the unexpected occur.

All you lucky BBC listeners who are able to tune into BBC Radio Stoke both on the “wireless” and via the BBC website will be pleased to know that yours truly will be featuring on Stuart George’s program tomorrow morning.

Tune in from 10AM to hear me disucssing the finer points of Hypermiling and how you can have up to 40% on fuel. If you fancy “swatting” up before hand, feel free to check out our Hypermiling Techniques page.

After the show, I’ll post the link to the iPlayer broadcast so you can listen again.

When your car insurance needs renewing you never seem to be prepared, it is so much easier to continue with your existing car insurance than find an alternative. There never seems to be enough hours in the day, so when your car insurance needs to be renewed this option is easier.

If you are finding that your premium is increasing but your circumstances have not changed the best option is to compare your quotes on-line. To be able to complete a quote form and get an immediate quote makes it so much easier for you to be able to compare these with the other car insurance quotes you have received. This will save so much valuable time than having to make numerous telephone calls and having to provide the same information time and time again.

There are so many businesses that offer car insurance it has made it easier for us to get the best price; however, you need to make sure that the cover you are getting is suitable for your requirements. Once you have decided on which quote you wish to proceed with you can then discuss this further with the insurance company, if the quote you have received saves you money, you might decide to take additional cover or add a person to your insurance. This option can be an advantage to you, as when driving for many hours, you can share the driving with someone else.

Deciding on which car insurance cover to take out is so difficult as you don’t want to be in a situation, for example, your car has broken down late at night and when you have contacted your insurance company you have not added breakdown cover or when leaving home in a rush your car will not start and you have not taken out home start cover. It is so important when getting your quote you make sure that all these events are covered. Once completing your form and receiving your quote you are then able to print this out and read it when you have more time, all anyone wants to know initially is how much will this cost me? That is why getting a quote instantly makes it so much easier than having to wait for your quote to be sent to you in the post. We never seem to have time to wait days for a quote.

As you know, when cars reach the ripe old age of 3, they are required to join the rest of us in having a yearly MoT test at our local garage. The staggering number of failures points out that general maintenance is not being picked up within the first 3 years of a cars life, putting other motorists and road users in danger.

From a total of 352,000 Mot failures the most common reasons were lighting and signalling (164,837 failures), followed closely by tyres (96,760 failures), headlight aim (82,555 failures) and issues with the driver’s view of the road (80,605 failures). All of the above are cause of grave concern for those of us who have assumed that newer cars are automatically safer.

It would be easy at pointing the blame at manufacturers, blaming “shoddy” build quality of their cars, but the real truth is that it’s down to poor maintenance and the owners in ability to ensure the safety of their “new” car.

I’ve long been a believer that the 3 year delay on having an MOT is long over due for a rethink. A basic annual safety check would be a better option to ensure that unsafe vehicles are not allowed a pass due to the age of the car.

We’d like to know what you think on this matter. Take the poll on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Hypermiling

Read more for a break down of failures by manufacturer.

Top 5 pass rates by manufacturer

• 1. Lexus 88%
• 2. Suzuki 86%
• 3. Honda 85%
• 4. Saab 84%
• 5. Toyota 83%

Bottom 5 pass rates by manufacturer

• 1. Renault 76%
• 2. Mini 76%
• 3. Citroen 76%
• 4. Chevrolet 76%
• 5. Peugeot 77%

New research from Green Flag has revealed that over 4.6 million (13 per cent) of UK motorists have found themselves driving on empty in the last three months. Green Flag has coined these drivers ‘Vapour trailers,’ motorists that risk running out of fuel by regularly driving with the petrol warning light flashing. In the past 12 months alone, a whopping 1.4 million (4 per cent) motorists have run out of fuel whilst driving.

Their research shows that younger drivers (between 18 & 34 ), find themselves “running on empty” the most with a quarter having done so in the last three months alone.  A staggering one in eight drivers  say that they have set out on a journey feeling nervous about running out of fuel. For many this fear is well founded as one in six men have run out of petrol whilst driving, compared to one in ten females.

Our advice is to keep a filled jerry can in the car for emergencies,  or better still try and keep at least a quarter of a tank at all times. Having to go out your way for an emergency fill up often means have to settle for most convenient and expensive petrol stations in your area, or even worse pay motorway services pump prices!

The table below shows the percentage of drivers who have been “running on empty” in the last three months together with their average weekly spend on fuel.

Region            % of drivers running on empty   Weekly Fuel Expenditure
North East                          18%                              £27.22 
Wales                                  18%                               £24.89 
East Midlands                    16%                               £25.07 
West Midlands                   16%                              £25.91 
Yorkshire & Humberside 14%                              £24.56 
South East                          14%                             £29.29 
N. Ireland                             13%                            £32.78 
Scotland                               11%                             £28.74 
London                                 10%                            £25.74 
South West                           9%                             £27.13 
East of England                    9%                             £30.10 
North West                             8%                             £26.00 

The threat of a damaging fuel tanker strike was averted yesterday after drivers voted by just a 1% margin accept a peace deal. After eight days of talks with the conciliation service Acas, Unite said that just 51% of it’s members had backed proposals to end a long-running dispute over job terms and conditions.

In four out of the seven firms involved in the talks, tanker drivers rejected the offer on safety standards and training – but overall the deal will go through, if only by a fine margin.

Diana Holland, Unite assistant general secretary said: ‘This narrow vote in favour lifts the threat of strike action, but leaves the companies with no room for complacency. The progress made through negotiation is testament to the brave stance members have taken in the face of growing insecurity and attacks on their profession. The narrow vote in favour should be a wake-up call for an industry riddled with deep-seated problems. This is why we are writing to the select committee urging them to investigate the instability in the industry.”

Acas welcomed the breakthrough with their chief conciliator Peter Harwood saying: “The dispute was a very complex one and both the employers and the trade union representatives worked very hard during long sessions at Acas to shape a solution that addressed the issues facing the sector.”

The Energy Secretary, Ed Davey said ‘This is the right result for those involved in the dispute and for the economy”

The end of the dispute will put both motorists and UK businesses at ease. The panic surrounding the last proposed strike caused chaos at the pumps as panic buying spread across the UK with many filling stations forced to closed as stocks ran dry.

Splicing a saloon with a coupe may have seemed fanciful a decade ago, but four-door coupes are now a firmly established breed.

Mercedes-Benz pioneered the four-door coupe concept with the 2004 launch of the CLS. The car was widely derided at the time, with many expecting it to fall awkwardly between two stools, but the unusual concept quickly proved its detractors wrong. There was indeed a swathe of customers hankering for the sleek style of a coupe coupled with the accessibility of a saloon – even if no car could quite deliver both at the same time.

Other manufacturers have since followed in the CLS’s tyre-tracks. In 2008, Volkswagen rolled out its CC or “Comfort Coupe”, a low-roofed car based on the Passat saloon. Perhaps a bit of a rush job to fill a then promising new niche, the CC came across as a squashed and melted Passat until its 2012 facelift, which gave it a sharper and more convincing shape.

In 2009, Audi joined the party with a characteristically restrained and confident design. It added a hatchback to the mix, blurring the distinction between coupes and sporty estate cars with its A5 Sportback, followed a year later by the larger A7 Sportback. Both Audis seek to combine the practicality of five doors with coupe-like touches such as a low roofline and frameless window glass.

Mercedes itself delivered a second-generation CLS in 2011, but it has taken arch-rival BMW until 2012 to bring its first real four-door coupe to market. The 6-Series Gran Coupe is bigger and more expensive than the Benz, however, squaring up against the five-door Porsche Panamera instead.

Hatched in 2009, the big and ungainly Porsche coupe competes with yet another large, expensive and powerful four-door coupe, 2010’s much more elegant Aston Martin Rapide.

Not to be outdone by faster and more expensive rivals, the CLS gained bigger engines and swollen price tags in its incarnation as an AMG Mercedes – the CLS 63 AMG currently boasts a 5.5-litre V8 developing up to 540bhp.

Meanwhile, Mercedes is also intent on seeing if its four-door recipe can be applied to coupes lower down the market, both in terms of cost and size. At the 2012 Beijing Auto Show it unveiled the Concept Style Coupe, a four-door car based on the new Mercedes A-Class hatchback.

The Concept Style Coupe is expected to reach showrooms in 2014 and be badged CLA in production form. It will measure a foot shorter than the CLS and cost from about £25,000.

At present, there are no four-door coupes of comparable size on the market. But it’s highly unlikely that the CLA will have the field to itself for long, if at all. BMW may well launch a 4-Series Gran Coupe at roughly the same juncture, while VW is reportedly working on a five-door coupe variant of the seventh-generation Golf.

 Just eight years after the CLS started the ball rolling, buyers are already spoiled for choice if they want a four-door coupe. The range of options seems sure to get wider still.