A new record MPG for Ford F150 with aerodynamic cap! - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

bondo · 07-04-2008, 10:20 AM

Happy fourth of July,

It has been a while since posting here on ecomodder. I have been in Texas working crazy hours and making money to fund to start of production of the aero truck cap. I am ready, and I wish to thank all of you fellow ecomodders for your continuing support.

Driving home from Denton, Texas to Little Rock last night, I set a new record for the aero cap, 25 mpg! I drove from Denton to Greenville, Texas, which sets right on Interstate 30. I use this run from Greenville to Little Rock, which is 260 miles of freeway driving as a test run. The temperature was about 96 degrees with a slight tail wind from the southwest.

I topped of the gas tank, shut off the air conditioning and turned east toward Little Rock. With the sun at my back and the vent on high, it was suprisingly comfortable without the air conditioner on. After a couple of hours driving time, I noticed my gas guage had not moved as much as it usually does on this route I have taken many many times before. My suspicions were justified when I topped off in Little Rock upon arrival and had traveled 260.5 miles and used 10.39 gallons of gas, 25.07 miles per gallon, not bad for a full size 2006 F150 with the 4.6 liter v8 and automatic transmission.

I had had the cruise set on 69 miles per hour and was turning 1800 rpms. I do believe the hotter air may be less dense which could help improve fuel efficiency. It is known that aircraft lose lift in hotter air due to the lowered density of the heated air. I'll be driving back the same route Sunday and see if the same mileage can be matched.

Plans are now to do a test market in Arkansas and Texas this fall on the aero cap. The market is there and the gain in fuel efficiency the cap affords, I do feel they will sell.

Thanks to all,

Bondo

bhazard · 07-04-2008, 10:26 AM

No fuel log?

bondo · 07-04-2008, 10:34 AM

No fuel log, just one and a half years of on the road testing with documentation. You get to know you vehicle pretty good after a while.

All I can offer is the two wind tunnel tests data which have been conducted at Ford and Nascar to substanciate my claim.

Bondo

MetroMPG · 07-04-2008, 10:59 AM

Bondo: Fantastic results. And glad to hear you're moving ahead again on this project!

For those who don't have bondo's truck's highway MPG ratings memorized, the F150 EPA stat for the 4.6L v8 automatic = 17 mpg (US) highway.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008c...f.jsp?id=22191

Consider also the maximum speed on the EPA test is about 60 mph, with an average of about 48 mph for the cycle.

echomodder · 07-04-2008, 11:15 AM

WoW

25mpg for a full size F-150 thats very impressive

I feel like I'm doing poorly. 45mpg in my sub-compact Echo doesn't seem that good anymore

cfg83 · 07-04-2008, 07:54 PM

bondo -

Very good news!!!!

CarloSW2

blownintegra · 07-04-2008, 07:58 PM

as much as I would like to applaud your efforts to make trucks more efficient, trucks and their inherent inefficiencies just need to fall by the wayside because a V8 powered commuter vehicle is just wasteful.

SVOboy · 07-04-2008, 08:06 PM

This is great! You've really got something great here and I can't wait to see it when it hits the big time,

jamesqf · 07-05-2008, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blownintegra

...trucks and their inherent inefficiencies just need to fall by the wayside because a V8 powered commuter vehicle is just wasteful.

Depends on whether you're using a truck as a commuter vehicle, or as a truck. Lots of jobs require a truck, or at least can be done much better with one. (For instance, I'd hate to try hauling a winter's supply of firewood in my Insight :-)) So you need a two-pronged approach: more efficient non-truck commuter vehicles for some, more efficient trucks for others.

ajax_6531 · 07-05-2008, 01:51 AM

Ditto. I have a '92 F150 that pretty much sits in the driveway. Its there because of the crappy mileage I get out of it. There are several things I do that my POS Civic can't quite handle (4'x8' sheets of plywood, haul tools and boats, etc). I'm looking at a nice move at the end of the year. I'm headed somewhere within the continental U.S. to be a Marine Recruiter (email me if you want to join!!) and plan on hauling the Civic on a trailer with a lot of junk in the bed. I'm glad the Marines pay for gas.

I think I'm going to pay more attention to what people are doing to their full-size trucks for better economy.