Tour de Sol Monte Carlo results - GreenHybrid

n1ywb · #1 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 05:39 PM

Hey Guys,

Just pulled in from the Tour de Sol and what a great event!

I got 62.2 MPG over 170 miles driving from Harriman NY to Saratoga Springs NY! I thought for sure I would win, but another civic driving down from Quebec got 76 MPG!!! I didn't even think that was possible!! I don't know exactly how far he travelled except that it was over 150 miles. The only difference in our cars was his was the CVT and mine was the 5spd. I guess I've got to brush up on my hyper mileing, a LOT!

Anyway the full results aren't available yet but I'm sure they'll be posted on tourdesol.org in a few days. I highly reccomend the event to other Hybrid owners, it was a lot of fun! See you next year!

n1ywb · #2 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:27 PM

Well we think we figured it out, the civic was from canada and the tour de sol guys probably forgot to convert his odometer readings from km to mi. 76 km per gal == 47 mi per gal, which is a lot more realistic, considering he said he averages 55mph on the interstate. I sent NESEA an email to try and get it straightened out, we'll see...

Jason · #3 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:36 PM

How about the conversion between Imperial gallons and US gallons?

n1ywb · #4 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:42 PM

nah, they measured fuel used with the click method at a US pump. anyway don't they use liters in canada?

Another error factor, they had everyone drive a 10 mile calibration loop to correct for odometer error, that could have really screwed up his results.

Jason · #5 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:45 PM

What's the "click method?"

n1ywb · #6 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:54 PM

Fill up the tank until the pump clicks off. Actually they were topping off tanks until gas spilled on the ground, which I explained to them was a bad thing to do but they did it anyway. When I started I gave it one extra click, but they still measured my fuel usage a bit higher than it really was and I still got 62 mpg based on fuel usage and distance (the computer only read 60.8 or something)

Jason · #7 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 08:57 PM

Wait, they do this after it's over? So, theoretically they're seeing how much room there is in the tank? Oh, boy. Didn't they do their research? The Prius' bladder/filler/emissions system makes this type of measurement extremely unreliable. And, is spilling gas not the antithesis of what they're trying to promote?

n1ywb · #8 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 09:09 PM

Yup not to mention screwing up the evaporative emissions control system on other cars. I had a lengthy discussion with them about it but they didn't listen. Of course the problem is that some entrants DID top off their tanks to the tip top when they started which is they NESEA filled all the tanks to the tip top.

The real problem is how to you ACCURATELY and RELIABLY measure fuel usage? The car computer isn't bad but it's not exactly spot on, it read under on mine. And they corrected for odometer error even. So who knows.

Anyway the REAL point to the event is to raise public awareness of alternative energy transportation technology and they achieved that goal beautifully by being a part of the saratoga auto show, it was amazing to see all the fat old cigar smoking 68 Camero owners milling around looking at all the hybrids lined up. The Tour de Sol is a PR event first and a contest second, you have to watch those guys like a hawk when they calculate your score. I participated in it 3 years in a row in college with our electric scirocco and our bio-d hybrid s-10 and almost every day we found errors in our scoring and had to contest them. Usually we got them fixed but still... Most of the people who put on the event are volunteers working for free and the few who do work full time for NESEA aren't getting rich off it, that's for sure, they were in the red after last years Tour de Sol. The DOE used to give them a lot of funding for the tour, before W got elected and cut the budged. So the Monte Carlo rally is really what saved the event. And overall it was great. Except for the getting screwed out of first place bit which hopefully I can get squared away but I still will have missed out on the awards ceremony. And I'm assuming I was second, which I'm not sure about, but dude, I hit 62 MPG in a hybrid civic over 170 miles! I guess either way thats still something to be proud of. Can I call myself a hypermiler yet?

Jason · #9 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 09:13 PM

Sure, congrats

Measuring gas volume shouldn't be that hard, though. Drain everyone's tanks, fill each with 10 gallons, let them drive, drain a last time and measure.

JeffKinTN · #10 (**permalink**) 05-14-2005, 10:05 PM

From Insightcentral.org:

News flash
Nemystic and his MIMA_L sets tour de sol record

107 MPG for 150 miles through the berkshire mountains. from Greenfield MA to Saratoga Springs.
Proof of the possibilities. Photos and more details to follow.
MIMA Rules