EcoModder forum user CigaR007 has been working on grill blocks for his Toyota Echo for a while now. He started with some simple pipe insulation stuffed between the grill slats as shown above. This version worked well for him and didn’t look bad either as it matched the car’s grill color fairly well. It was also easy to adjust for winter/summer by just pulling some insulation out or adding some insulation back in.

However, he wanted to improve on things. So, his second version was made of coroplast wrapped in some carbon fiber vinyl wrap. This looked better than the last version and seemed to work a bit better at blocking the grill off.

A bit later on, he also did the lower grill block in a similar fashion. This time he used rigid extruded polystyrene foam (the pink/blue foam they use to insulate houses) and again wrapped it in carbon fiber vinyl wrap to make it look nice.

In the mean time he also played around with some ducting behind the grill block to ensure that the air that does go through the grill goes through the radiator instead of going around it. As a side note, the Toyota Prius also does this to improve cooling.

Still not satisfied with what he had, he set upon the next step in improving the grill block. He removed the front pumper cover, lined the grilled area with foil and newspaper, and then poured two part foam into the cavity. It then expanded and formed itself perfectly to the grill opening. With a little sanding, the foam takes its shape.

He also made a foamed grill block for the top as well.

The final step with the foamed grill blocks involved some body work. He filled the air pockets that the foam left with some body filler (bondo), and then put some epoxy resin over it. Then he primed and painted the blocks to the matching colors of his car. As you can see, if you didn’t look closely you wouldn’t even be able to tell that the grill blocks aren’t an OEM part of the vehicle.

For more information on the evolution of CigaR007′s grill blocks, you can check out his forum thread that details out every step of the process.

Originally posted by low & slow on the EcoModder forum.

There has been quite a bit of interest in Alan Smith, an accomplished motorcycle hypermiler and Vetter Challenge competitor, so I drafted some questions for him to answer. Following are the questions and his responses.

Alan, please tell us about yourself, your work history, and your interest in motorcycle hypermiling.

I retired after working 33-years in the electronic industry. I started riding motorcycles right after high school. My interest in what is now called hypermiling started after the first gas crisis in 1973.

Please let us know about your progress in becoming one of the premier motorcycle hypermilers.

I started with a motorcycle that was noted for good fuel economy and just kept going from there.

Why did you select the Ninja 250 for your Vetter Challenge ride?

My fist serious attempt was with a Honda CRF230. It had great potential but being air cooled it would overheat with a streamliner shell. Used Ninja 250s are plentiful, water cooled, and cheap. And they are fun to ride.

What have you done to your Ninja 250 and what are its capabilities?

The engine is still stock but the sprockets have been changed to lower engine RPMs. The aerodynamics made the biggest difference. I don’t know its full capabilities yet.

How about future modifications for the Ninja 250?

Currently, I am doing major aerodynamic upgrades for the 2012 summer competition season. An all new tail and nose is being built.

In 2011 you went on a cross country ride of the USA, please give us some highlights of that epic trip.

That trip was 10,200-miles in 6-weeks. The Ninja 250 actually performed very well. My Ninja 250 had no problems cruising above freeway speeds. Crosswinds blew the light weight bike around some.

What kind of fuel economy do you get with your Ninja 250 outside of competitions?

When not in competition I generally get 88-90 MPG and that is not riding the bike gently.

You’ve gotten as high as 116 mpg in 2011, can you go higher?

I would say yes. In last year’s aerodynamic body my arms and legs were out in the wind. The new aerodynamic nose will cure this. Also tweaking the engine might improve the fuel economy.

How did you become friends with Craig Vetter?

Competing against him. With the streamliner competitors we are all friends trying to improve our fuel economy.

What are you proudest of in the arena of motorcycle hypermiling?

Getting accepted by people who ride large motorcycles. Most people think a 250cc motorcycle is only good for running around town. My streamlined Ninja 250 can keep up on the freeways and is a blast to ride on the back roads. The large trunk comes in handy to haul my buddies riding gear.

What advice would you give to motorcyclist wanting to get better fuel economy?

I guess it depends on what level of improvement in fuel economy you want. I have a Suzuki Bandit 1200 that was partially streamlined and I got some good results. I could only go so far with a 1200cc motorcycle. I finally decided to get serious and started looking for a much more fuel efficient motorcycle.

For more info on Alan and Craig’s work you can check out Craig’s website here.

For the last several months, Ecomodder forum member t vago has been working on a custom aeroshell for his 2000 Dakota Quad Cab pickup truck. While many fuel conscious people will look down on pickup trucks as eminently wasteful, truck owners are a group that has uniquely embraced the spirit of ecomodding. After all, they represent one of the biggest opportunities for improvement in modern motor vehicles.

It’s true: trucks are by in large not built with fuel economy in mind. While this is lamentable, it does give ambitious ecomodders a great place to start. The most glaring deficiency of the pick up truck’s design (from a fuel economy point of view, of course), is the aerodynamics. This is where t vago’s recent efforts come in to play.

If you want the nitty gritty, you can take a look at the original thread, where t vago and others go over their plans in detail. Here we will take a brief look at the origins and progress of the project – a sneak peek into the large amount of time and effort that goes into designing and building an aeroshell from scratch.

In the next two pictures you can see t vago’s humble beginnings:

This original design was built with foam insulation and designed in Microsoft Excel (of all programs) using calculations from this paper.

Unfortunately, this original design was too weak and eventually failed, though not before t vago could quantify a 1 mpg gain.

Here are t vago’s mockups of his first, unsuccessful design, as well as his second design:

First

Second

From there, in true EcoModder fashion, many other users chimed in with design advice as well as some of their own mockups. Here is just one example of the efforts put in on this project by user NeilBlanchard:

Though it took some time to get back on track, t vago was eventually able to produce a mockup of his next aeroshell:

Initial tests with the new aeroshell demonstrated significant gains over his truck’s previous configuration:

Eventually, the cap made it from foam to a more stable, stronger version as we can see here:

The cap is still in progress as just recently t vago has noticed some possible design problems:

A couple of nights ago, I was able to view the wake of my truck with the cap installed, in the rain. I noticed what appeared to be a couple of visible counter-rotating vortices right on either side of the back of the truck. From reading Hucho and looking at the pictures that Piwoslaw has in his album, it would appear the the inward-moving air stream at the sides of my aerocap are interacting with the air stream moving rearward on the sides of the truck. I think this is forming the vortices I’m seeing.

Hopefully we will be able to see a final version of this exciting project soon. In the future we will be talking more about these unique pickup-based modifications here on the EcoModder blog, so look forward to an update on t vago’s project in our next edition!

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Infrequently do we find a homebuilt car that is well-designed, aesthetically appealing, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive. In Dave Cloud’s Dolphin — originally discussed (with many more photos) in the EcoModder forum — we find that all our expectations for a homebuilt EV are surpassed. That’s probably because Dave has had his fair share putting together electric cars, having done over 45 conversions.

While the Dolphin may look like nothing you’ve ever seen before, the base vehicle is a 1997 Geo Metro, one of the classical examples of frugal driving. There are plenty of examples of Geo Metros being converted, but none are quite as unique as the Dolphin (if you need more examples, check out our very own ForkenSwift).

The Dolphin was put together for a miserly $3,000, but can do impressive things for the meager amount of money that was used to create it. Running on used batteries, the car managed a 70mph top speed and overall range of upwards of 80 miles, despite the fact that curb weight is well over 3000 pounds. The Dolphin is designed for highway cruising, lacking a transmission and geared to top out at 71 miles an hour. While this does allow for efficient highway cruising, it makes low speed operation and acceleration inefficient, dragging down the vehicle’s overall impressive numbers.

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Here’s a quote direct from Dave Cloud on the comprises that were made to keep the project under budget:

Another thing I would like to clarify is that my goal was to build a vehicle that can go 200 miles on a single charge with a speed of 60-65 mph for 85% of the miles, for under $3,000. I accomplished this goal. Because of my $3,000 limitation I made a lot of compromises in the chassis design hoping that the aerodynamics of the vehicle would make up for those inefficiencies. Inefficiencies such as front wheel bearings that rumble, back tires that are 10 years old and misshapen, single speed dual series motors (that were $100), no re-gen and inexpensive Curtis controllers.

Using the conversion factor listed on Wikipedia (33.4 kWh/gal) and Dave Cloud’s own estimates of power usage, the Dolphin clocks in at an amazing 214MPGe, beating everything on the road (and everything likely to be on the road in the near future). While this is an amazing vehicle, it’s unfortunate it was built for a specific EV distance challenge and will probably not be explored in depth in the future.

Here are the Dolphin’s in depth stats (found on EValbum):

Basic Vehicle: 1997 Geo Metro

Motor: Advanced DC 203-09-4001 Series Wound DC 2X “Shorty’ version of typical 8″ ADC motor

Drivetrain: 8″ ADC motor on each rear wheel, with independent battery packs and controllers

Controller: Curtis 1209B-6402 72 Volt, 400A

Batteries: 60 Interstate Various, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded Group 56 BLEM batteries, 33 lbs ea.

Voltage: 72V

Top Speed: 72 mph

Range: 200 miles

Watt Hours/mi: 162 wh/mi

Weight: 3,200 lbs

—

More information:

• Check out the EcoModder forum discussion about this car, with much more information & photos, including several posts by the builder.
• For more on Dave Cloud, check out the below videos:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhIhdLKKTI

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yravv7jT-jE&feature=player_embedded

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTqcb0bLv1I&feature=player_embedded

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Dutch efficiency enthusiast Allert Jacobs has converted his new Honda motorbike into a streamliner capable of getting over 200 mpg (US) cruising at 55 mph.

The Honda ANF125i Innova was pretty efficient right out of the box, since it followed the basic formula for low fuel consumption: small size + light weight + modest engine power.

The bike tips the scales at just 231 lbs (105 kg) and features an efficient, fuel injected, four stroke 125cc single, producing 9 hp (6.85 kW).

With those specs, the Honda already offered great fuel economy:  Allert’s first five fill-ups delivered 133 mpg (US) (1.8 L/100 km) over 638 miles (1027 km).

(With a disclaimer: he figures that’s better than “normal” because he was babying the bike while breaking it in.  He says a more realistic figure for his driving is 114 mpg (US) – that’s what he got from the last two fill-ups before he started modifying it.)

Q: How do you get from 114 mpg to over 200 mpg?
A: aerodynamics first (and gearing second)

Being a long time cyclist, motorcyclist and velomobile enthusiast, Allert intuitively understands what many people either don’t know or greatly underestimate: the enormous impact of aerodynamics on fuel consumption.

Unlike the average person, he is not surprised by the fact that a typical car burns 50% of its fuel overcoming air resistance at just 40 mph (64 km/h).  Or that the higher drag of a typical motorbike means half of its fuel is used to overcome air drag at just 15 – 20 mph (24 – 32 km/h)!

Custom aerodynamic fairing:  velomobile influence (version 1)

Allert knew he could significantly reduce the amount of power required to go down the road by lowering the rider’s position (reducing exposure to the oncoming air) and then reducing turbulence by adding smooth fairings.

His extensive experience designing and producing recumbent bicycles and fully enclosed recumbent velomobiles obviously prepared him for this project.  (Above photo: Allert’s commercially produced Quest velomobile, a pedal-powered trike)

Diving in feet first

Reducing frontal area showed immediate results.  To get a feet-forward position on the Honda, a new seat was mounted in the bike’s step-through area, and the foot pegs and controls were moved to just above the front wheel.  The front wheel itself was enclosed, and another fairing was added ahead of the rider.

(Most motorcycle owners have probably experienced the benefit of reducing frontal area and drag, simply by tucking down at higher speeds and feeling the bike speed up without moving the throttle.  It’s a good demonstration that shows  aerodynamics isn’t only about fuel economy!)

On his first test drive, the drag reduction was obvious.  Even lacking critical bodywork needed to smooth airflow at the rear of the bike, the little Honda’s top speed went up from 90 km/h (56mph) to 110 km/h (69mph).

Taller gearing

Because the modifed bike now required less energy to go down the road than the stock version, its gear ratios could be optimized: engine RPM could be lowered for a given speed that would have lugged the engine before the aero mods.  Reducing engine speed normally improves fuel economy.

With the new sprockets in place, fuel economy was now up to 152 mpg (1.55 L/100 km) over 1901 miles of riding (3059 km).

But Allert wasn’t happy!  He wanted more…

Lessons learned from version 1

• Stability issues with the front wheel fairing: side winds were affecting stability, because steering force was being transmitted to the forks.  “It turned out to be very scary to ride even with as little as 3 Beaufort (about 10mph) side wind.  I did not dare to go over 35mph.”  That would have to change.

• Manual clutch conversion: with the taller gearing, Allert wasn’t happy with the Honda’s stock semi-automatic shifting.  He added a clutch lever & cable and converted to a full manual transmission so he could control the amount of slip needed for a smooth start, since “the first gear is now almost as long as the second gear used to be”.

• Revised aerodynamic fairings: to reach his efficiency goals, the aerodynamics of version 2 would have to be better.

Version 2: best tank = 214 mpg (US); average = 199 mpg

The photos below speak for themselves (click to zoom).  Allart spent months crafting full length bodywork, divided in two sections.  The front half slides forward in a clever setup that allows the rider to get “in” and “out” of the bike fairly easily.

The windshield is less for forward vision than a place to locate the LED turn signals to keep them out of the wind.  Allert added signals on the side mirrors as well.

He’s happy with the stability of the full length fairing compared to the first version: “A 40mph (65 km/h) side wind is no problem,” though more than that he hasn’t experienced yet.

And it works: in cool, windy weather, he managed 214 mpg (US) or 1.1 L / 100 km on a 160 mile (km) round trip.   His goal is 235 mpg on a trip cruising at 55 mph (90 km/h).  Why 235 mpg?  Because its metric equivalent (as is used in the Netherlands) would be a very impressive 1 liter per 100 kilometers.

He expects that’s possible in ideal conditions (warm & calm), though he’s not simply waiting for better weather to accomplish this feat.  He notes that the fairing isn’t entirely optimized from an aerodynamic perspective, and is also investigating potential improvements in rolling resistance (by methodologically testing different brands of tires on a custom made test rig).

When spring & summer roll around this year, I have little doubt that 1L / 100 km is in the cards for Allert Jacobs.

We’re looking forward to seeing more from this man!

(Photos: Allert Jacobs. Used with permission.)

.

For more information:

• For the latest information & photos, visit Allert Jacob’s web site documenting this project

• Follow the discussion about Allert’s work in the EcoModder forum

• Craig Vetter is one of the godfathers of motorcycle efficiency enthusiasts.  Read about his own on-going high mileage motorbike project, the Freedom Machine.

• EcoModder member Janvos has been working on similar aero & gearing mods to his Suzuki Burgman.  Follow his progress in this project thread.

More projects featuring aerodynamic modifications:

The Phil Knox fleet – 34 years of aeromodding	Aeromodded 1989 Geo Metro XFi Gets 75 mpg
Aero mods – 1930′s style – rebodied Ford Model T	Commercially produced aerodynamic pickup bed cap
5th generation Civic hatchback – improving aerodynamics	Project: making a permanent Metro Kammback extension
Daihatsu Mira aerodynamic modifications	Crazy aeromodded Metro – chopped & teardropped

EcoModder member bondo is well known for his aerodynamic pickup bed cap, which he designed, builds, and sells himself. Recently he hit us over the head with another great aero design, this time a scale vehicle model he donated to the Ford Motor Company to help them pull through their current rough patch.

As you can see in the original thread, bondo built the model himself in his garage and chose Ford as the recipient because of their insistence to go it alone without federal bailout money and because he believes the company is under good stewardship. Personally, I think this this is a great design and Ford is lucky to have it. Congrats to bondo for putting it together.

After Mercedes released it’s E Class sedan with an industry leading drag coefficient of .24 (above) it was no big secret that the luxury car maker was going to push the envelope of aerodynamic efficiency. Despite the association between the word “aerodynamic” and the mental image of a bug-mobile, Mercedes has proven that they can do efficiency in a classy, almost invisible way.

Now the company is saying that they want cars with drag coefficients of 0.20 and less within 5 years. This would put Mercedes in the company of vehicles like the GM EV1 (0.19 coefficient of drag) and any number of concept cars that have never made it to production.

Coefficient of drag might not have the shock value of gas mileage figures, but consider this: 50 mpg may sound good but it only goes as far as fossil fuels. A vehicle with a low coefficient of drag will be efficient no matter what is powering it. These slippery Mercedes will get better gas mileage now and better electric range in the future.

And they still look pretty freaking sweet.

What does a Ford Motor Company fuel economy technical expert do for fun at the end of the day?

He heads home to his own shop and custom builds an aerodynamically efficient, two-passenger, 3-wheel motorcycle capable of 125 mpg (US) at 65 mph (1.9 L/100 km @ 105 km/h) and a top speed of over 100 mph (161 km/h).  And then after using it for 3,200 miles (5,150 km), he puts it on eBay to make room in his garage for the next version which will be a plug-in hybrid.

“After working [on] improving conventional production car/truck fuel economy I wanted to try something with fewer constraints,” says EcoModder member John (HyperRocket).  Now there’s an understatement.

(It kind of makes you wonder how many house painters go home at the end of the day, budding Picassos, to toil on masterwork canvases…)

His street legal, 2-seat, tandem vehicle is registered as a motorcycle and was engineered for both high efficiency and fun:

• the drivetrain is from a Kawasaki Ninja: a 250cc liquid cooled, four stroke, DOHC 2 cylinder tuned with an exhaust gas analyzer for best efficiency & driveability

• six speed manual transmission

• weight: 505 lbs

• excellent 0.16 coefficient of drag, calculated through GPS-based coast down tests

• HID projector headlight up front, and LED’s elsewhere (front turn signals are integrated into the side mirrors for aerodynamics)

• safety features include 4 point seat belts, roll bar and front mounted IMPAXX crash foam as now used in NASCAR sides

John claims fuel efficiency of 105 mpg (US) (2.2 L/100 km) cruising on the highway at 65mph when equipped with the bling wheels and sporty gearing, and even better numbers with a couple of additional mods: “When equipped with the pictured motorcycle tires (not included) and a smaller rear sprocket it achieved 125 mpg @ 65mph.”  (1.9 L/100 km @ 105 km/h)

If you think a vehicle like this might draw attention, John confirms that with a good anecdote:  After being stopped by police and explaining the project to the curious officer, ‘back up’ was called in.  “Four squad cars showed up, several houses of neighbors came out and the whole thing turned into a spectacle. No ticket, everyone was genuinely interested in ecomodding!”

The trike’s eBay auction has a starting bid of $15,600 USD. While not questioning the design or workmanship that went into the machine, we wonder if that price will draw efficiency-minded bidders in these days of $2 per gallon gasoline.   Undoubtedly his work would have grabbed a lot of attention last summer, when fuel prices were driving people into a frenzy, paying utterly ridiculous prices for used Geo Metros to save money at the pumps.

Best of luck, John.   We’re looking forward to seeing what rolls out of your shop next!

—

Follow the discussion about the HyperRocket in the EcoModder forum

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNSon0kKsmY

There used to be a time when economy cars didn’t always have a passenger side mirror. For example, depending on the market, the CRX HF, which had a remarkable drag coefficient of 0.29, didn’t always come with one. Twenty-one years past the first production of the 2nd-generation CRX, we can’t speculate on Honda’s motivations, but judging by the fact that the low coefficient of drag is prominent in sales pamphlets, we can assume that aerodynamics had something to do with it.

Yesterday, I decided it would be a good time to take a high-tech approach to an old problem. It cost about $90 and took a few hours of my time, but now have a rear view camera in place of the mirror that once graced the side of my car. I hope you enjoy the video.

Seems like the European automakers are going all out on fuel economy these days. Opel has created an ecoFLEX version of their popular Insignia sedan, which due to some clever ecomodding has a low drag coefficient of 0.26 and scores a solid 45.2 MPG (US) in the European driving cycle.

ecoFLEX modifications include:

• additional panelling under the fuel tank;
• lowering the body 10 mm;
• adding a flexible front spoiler lip;
• reducing upper cooling openings;
• optimized gearing and final drive ratio on this six-gear manual transmission;
• specially-designed Michelin Primacy HP tires;
• shift recommendation dashboard display.

Definitely a solid sedan, but when will we see it on this side of the pond?

Source: TheAutoChannel from our forums

When was the last time you heard of a full-size work van getting better fuel economy than your average sedan? If you don’t remember, that’s okay, neither do I. Like their other ecoNetic cars, Ford has ecomodded their standard Transit work van with a high-efficiency diesel engine, aerodynamic wheels, and low-rolling resistance tires.

However, because the 32.6 MPG rating is adjusted from the EU test cycle, you should take it with a grain of salt. This is because the EU cycle tends to give better ratings than EPA testing, so 32.6 MPG in Europe might actually be a bit less on this side of the pond. But again, as ABG notes, the EPA cycle has notoriously underwhelming diesel ratings, and it might be that the European ratings are a bit closer to reality.

Perhaps this is a prelude to a Ford Transit Connect ecoNetic model, which would combine the same ecomods with the smaller model of the van. This opens up the possibility of getting such a vehicle in the United States, where the Transit Connect will soon be on sale.

Every year, the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan adds a few influential people to their archives. The Automotive Hall of Fame has the task of preserving the most important ideas and moments in automotive history, so it’s quite an honor to be inducted.

That’s why I was happy to hear at the New York International Auto Show that Wunibald Kamm, designer of the Kammback, will be inducted in 2009. In 1938, he helped BMW design the first Kamm-Coupe, a 328 with a .25 drag coefficient, matching the first generation Honda Insight.

Clearly, his ideas were ahead of his time and never widely adopted, but with fuel economy coming back to the forefront of automotive design, Kamm is finally getting some attention.

This is of special import to us ecomodders, since the Kammback is one of the most effective and possibly coolest looking aeromods around. For some more reading on actual Kammbacks (including the one in the picture above), check out these threads:

• Geo Metro Kammback Design and Construction: Step by step.
• Better Minivan Gas Mileage with a Kammback: 3.7% better, to be exact.
• Civic VX Kammback: Clean looking install on a Civic VX.
• Building a Del Sol Kammback: The Del Sol is a perfect Kammback candidate.
• Another Civic Hatch Kammback: Another clean-looking Kammback

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1dwPQ37FlA

Thanks to holypaulie on our fuel economy forums for posting this video of his own aeromods!

You may have been impressed back in 1999 by the Honda Insight’s low .25 CD. You may again have been impressed by the new Toyota Prius’s matching CD when the new model came out this year. If that’s the case, you should be even more impressed that Mercedes managed to pull off a .24 CD for its E-Class coupe.

Granted, the total drag of a vehicles is the coefficient of drag multiplied by the frontal area, so it’s likely that both vehicles have higher overall drag than the Honda Insight, but this efficient design from a vehicle marked by its attention to power and not efficiency represents what I think is a crucial shift in vehicle design.

The car is part of Mercedes’ new BlueEFFICIENCY line, which over the last few years has consistently brought smaller engines, better aerodynamics, and thriftier design without comprising what Mercedes considers the be the essence of its luxury brand, so I look forward to seeing even more improvement from the company.

Source: EM Forum

Remind you of anything familiar? If you guessed VW’s classic Karmann Ghia, you were correct. This isn’t a real car, but rather a nicely done aerodynamic concept made with photoshop in EcoModder’s aerodynamics forum.

However, don’t let the fact that it’s not a real car get you down. The point behind this photoshop is a sort of “proof of concept.” By taking one of the coolest old cars around and making it very aerodynamic, the original poster proved that aerodynamics doesn’t have to mean Prius-like or uncool, but can also make you think of an old mobster movie or perhaps a top speed run down the Autobahn.

Do any of our readers ever try their hand at a little photoshop/design magic? Let us know in the comments what you’ve come up with.

Every so often, we at EcoModder get asked if we’re ever going to get into the business of making production, bolt on ecomods. Even though it makes sense, we’re much more interested in sharing information and encouraging crowd-sourcing within the EcoModder community. A prime example of that can be seen with the MPGuino, a piece of open-source instrumentation that has been developed and supported by some great forum members.

Well, now it seems like ecomodding has trickled down as far as the aftermarket gas mileage nuts in Japan. These days, for as little as 171 bucks you can buy an undertray for your Honda Fit. Undertrays improve aerodynamics and therefore gas mileage, and are a common addition for many ecomodders. However, it’s rare to see a part with such polish coming out on the aftermarket.

As the original forum poster notes, it’s not a direct fit, but it definitely can fit and looks good when installed:

This of course brings up that age-old question: how much money will you spend to save on gas? Is it really worth $171 bucks for a little bump in fuel economy? Over the life of the car, it’s likely that you’ll come out ahead, which is why many manufacturers have been adding larger and more complete undertrays to their cars. However, you’ve got to consider that this is the aftermarket ecomodding, and the cool factor definitely kicks in. Don’t you want to be the first on the block with a professionally made undertray?

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This week, one of EcoModder’s very own got the chance to check out an EV1 live and in person. Sure, there are tons of images of the EV1 floating around on the internet, so at face value, this doesn’t seem that important. However, this pictures were taking from the perspective of an ecomodder, someone concerned about things like aerodynamics and vehicle design.

That means that our friend took quite a few pictures many of us seasoned ecomodder had never seen before. For the full shoot check out this thread. It’s definitely worth the click through, but I’ll leave some teaser shots here for you nonetheless:

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This post is part of a series on basic ecodriving techniques, intended to expound upon a more basic description in order to make them more accessible as well as put them in the context of safety and practicality. 

Reducing your speed is one of the simplest things you can do to increase fuel economy.  Keep in mind I did not say it is the easiest thing to do.  I’ll admit it, most drivers like speed.  But, it is a very simple thing to do.  You just have to let off the pedal a little bit.

On average, a 5 mph reduction at highway speeds (ex. From 70 to 65 mph) will net you an 8% increase in fuel economy.  Of course this differs from vehicle to vehicle.  The larger your vehicle the larger you gain is likely to be.  Fueleconomy.gov says that you can see between 7 to 23 percent increase in mileage simply by slowing down to the speed limit.  What about even a little bit under the speed limit?

Here is a some testing done by MetroMPG.com comparing speed to mileage.

There is also the fact that the speed limit is also a much safer speed should speak volumes to the car buyers who buy large vehicles because they are safer.  If you really want to be safe, slow down to recommended speeds.  Road engineers design roads with these kinds of things in mind.

A little more on the technical side is the fact that aerodynamic drag increase exponentially with speed.  So, if you double your speed you have quadrupled your aerodynamic drag.  So, you can see small increases in speed can drastically increase drag.  Aerodynamic drag is also the main force your engine must overcome while traveling at highway speeds.

So, since your going slower your going to be late all the time now, right?  I sure hope not.  Slowing down from 60 mph to 55 mph on an hour trip takes you roughly 5 more minutes.  Anything less than an hour trip is going to be less and for that 8% fuel savings you are sure getting a good deal.

The last thing I will mention is stress.  How many times have you come up on a car going slower than you, and gotten all flustered as you try to find a way to zip past it?  Stress is a serious issue with people these days.  Your daily drive can be a great time to unwind after a stressful day at work.  Its a lot easier to unwind while just cruising along at the speed limit where you don’t have to worry about that slow poke who won’t get out of your way as you rush home.  Take a few minutes longer to get home and feel better at the same time.

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Image: yr0gerg @ flickr, under CC

Every year Shell sponsors something they call the “Eco-Marathon,” which invites teams to build the most fuel efficient car possible in order to compete in a race where the goal is to use the least amount of fuel possible.

The team pictured won competitions in both 2006 and 2007 getting as high as 7,148 MPG. While the competitions and cars entered may seem a little silly, there is a lot to be learned from these vehicles. It’s certainly worth checking out the competition, and the 2008 Eco-Marathon will be held from May 22nd to May 24th in Europe. You can find the official Shell website here and look for news when that time rolls around.

Here’s what Shell says about the purpose of the competition:

To design and build a vehicle that will use the least fuel and produce the fewest emissions possible.

Conventional fuels such as diesel, petrol and LPG, as well as alternative fuels such as solar, electric, hydrogen and biomass can power the vehicles.

More after the break.

How do they manage such high mileage and why should I care?

This is where it gets a bit interesting. These cars usually don’t get such good mileage, but this type of competition often yields winners in the 1,000 MPG+ range, so it’s definitely worth looking into the design of these vehicles.

The first thing to notice is the size: these cars do everything to reduce the size of the vehicle, the engine, and the wheels. Bigger vehicles need to move more air and oftentimes require larger wheel, both things which create drag and kill vehicle mileage.

Also, it’s important to note how slippery these vehicles are. Besides being extremely small, they have an extremely low coefficient of drag, which is key to reducing fuel consumption.

Certainly and overly simplistic look at things, but suffice it to say that I hope these fantastic engineers (much smarter people than me!) make it into the auto industry and introduce some great ideas like we see on display here.

For more photos, videos, and podcasts, check out the Shell site here.

Soure: Gas2.0

34 years ago this month in March, 1974, Car and Driver magazine ran a feature article about DIY modifications that improve fuel economy. The article was a response to the 1973/74 oil crisis – the first time people started seriously talking about improving fuel efficiency as a way to address energy security and high gas prices.

But the magazine did a lot more than just talk about efficiency. They grabbed the bull by the horns (okay, a Ford Pinto by the bumper) and actually did something about it. The article, called Project Car: Crisis-Fighter Pinto, documented six relatively simple modifications which actually saved gas.  And most of them would benefit new cars today.

After the jump: the six modifications in detail.

The Car & Driver guys didn’t touch the Pinto’s engine. Instead, they reduced the amount of work the engine had to do. Fuel is burned to overcome two predominant forces: rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. At highway speeds, aero drag dominates, and that’s where Car and Driver spent most of its effort – and the $11 for supplies.

Mod #1: Front air dam.
They started by making & installing an air dam beneath the Pinto’s front bumper to divert as much air flow as possible away from the car’s aerodynamically dirty underside. That single change accounted for fully one quarter of their gains.

Mod #2: Partial grill block.
Another highly turbulent air pathway is the cooling system. Most cars’ grill openings are sized to keep the engine cool in absolute worst-case conditions (think Death Valley, pulling a trailer). By blocking part of the Pinto’s grill, they were able to improve efficiency without adversely affecting engine temperatures in normal driving.

Mod #3: Smoother tail (rear spoiler).
The aerodynamically ideal shape at the rear of a vehicle is a gradual taper that helps minimize the size of the turbulent wake left behind. But the slope of the Pinto’s rear window was too steep. By adding a six inch spoiler, they effectively changed the angle of air flow between the end of the roof and the back of the car. The result: a 7% MPG improvement.

Mod #4: Smoother nose.
While almost every new car sold today has a smoothly contoured front end, the Pinto’s face left a lot to be desired. To partly address this, they made and installed convex plexiglass covers over the car’s headlight buckets. That small change added 0.1 MPG.

Mod #5: Reduced parasitic loads.
Back in ’74, most cars sported a belt-driven radiator fan. By removing two of the Pinto’s four fan blades, it was made more efficient. Today, most vehicles have electric cooling fans that run on demand only.

Mod #6: Reduced rolling resistance.
The stock Pinto came with bias-ply tires. Switching to steel belted radials netted a 5% MPG improvement. While all new cars today come with radial tires, LRR (Low Rolling Resistance) versions are available which offer an equivalent improvement over “standard” radials.

Car & Driver demonstrated that even with a so-called “economy” vehicle, the auto maker had left a lot on the table in terms of potential efficiency gains.

What’s more, they concluded, “they are all the type of changes you can make – without going broke – and the type of change the car makers will have to make for the coming model years. Bluntly, this is the way it will be.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the way it turned out. Particularly when it comes to fuel-wasting, poor aerodynamics, the auto makers still have a lot of room to improve.

Resources:

• Discuss this post: “Car and Driver magazine ecomods a car: MPG up +25%”
  
• Aerodynamics forum – Ecomodder.com

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