The Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle. © BYU
A group of around 20 students at Brigham Young University has designed and built the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the Western Hemisphere.
The BYU student team created a lightweight car that reached an incredible 2,145 miles per gallon during the Shell Eco-marathon competition last month. While the number sounds unbelievable, the vehicle was built specifically for efficiency challenges under controlled conditions.
The car weighs only 108 pounds, about the same as a set of four alloy wheels. To maximize fuel economy, it also comes with major compromises, including a top speed of only 23 mph. The driver must also fit strict limits, with a maximum height of 5-foot-4 and a weight of 120 pounds.
The Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle. © BYU
“These competitions are an insane amount of work, but a huge learning experience,” said faculty mentor Dale Tree, a professor of mechanical engineering at BYU. “For some students they are career and life changing.”
The Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle. © BYU
Why it matters:
The project shows how far fuel-efficiency technology can go when engineers focus entirely on reducing weight and energy use. Even though the vehicle is not practical for everyday driving, the ideas and innovations developed by the students could help improve future production cars.
The Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle. © BYU
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