smart cdi (diesel) owner from BC, Canada

[ebacherville]

Hmmm.. Interesting ...

[Johnny Mullet]

Glad to have you on the site. Welcome.

[MetroMPG]

ebacherville: that's cool, but there goes one of the things smarties love about their cars - the ability to fit into tight spaces!

[ebacherville]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

ebacherville: that's cool, but there goes one of the things smarties love about their cars - the ability to fit into tight spaces!

True but, it does prevent this from happening ...

[Kaneda]

right across the street from my school is a lot that has a Diesel smart and regularly records 80+ mpg... i hope mine gets at least 40city... i reserved mine in feb. so according to the email it should be ready for me in early-mid '09...$14700 out the door ive already got cannibal plans for it... so now the battle begins...which one gets the better milage... the crx or the smart???

[smartzuuk]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

What type of driving, mostly? City or highway?

The thing holding the smart back is the Cd. Since the car is rear engine, I'd be looking at a full smooth undertray, rear skirts and perhaps a removeable boat tail for highway use. The boat tail is where you smarties will see the biggest potential improvement.

I've ordered 2, 3 and 4" vortex generators as a first step. I may also try a boat-tail, but will seek help from a manufacturer... I may be able get something mocked up for the car in addition to a set of side fairings for a semi-trailer.

To get 2.8 to 3.0 on tanks, I'm driving mostly just to from work and avoiding short trips. I drive 80 kmh on the Hwy, and 60 in the city where possible, in highest gear (6th)
I run tires at 42 PSI, and limit electrical draw on the alternator
Truth is I am running WIDER wheels and tires than stock right now... so... there is some improvement due to come
The car already has a tray underneath the front, but not the rear... uhm, I'm not too into monkeying with that, but we'll see. to get 100 mpg US day in and day out will take more effort, and with the current run of publicity I am able to draw to the issue, it could be well worth it, just to show what is possible
My main goal is to see the common driver make reasonable changes to affect increased fuel economy
The company I work for has a media liason helping to spread my 'story' - quite by chance, timing was perfect on several fronts
Darin - the original CBC contact hasn't re-contacted for additional info.
The one CBC interview I did was the result of another contact that my 2005 promotor made, as was the Abby Times article
The next CBC interview and the one on NEWS1130 that played all day long today every ten minutes was brought about by the company liason
Just FYI

Links to these stories and suck at http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/www.100mpg.ca, top post

Interestingly, the BC Government is now officially promoting the Scangauge, so I am eager to get some stock - Scangauge is trying to catch up on backorders... I've ordered 50 this time

[Dust]

I might suggest you look into water injection for this car. Give it some more power, keep it cooler, and bump the MPG if you get the right kit.

smart ForTwo CDI 800 cc turbo diesel - Devilsown Methanol Alcohol Water Injection

Here's a thread on one. I really wish this was sold in Japan. I would have bought one in a second. Gas is $6.40 and rising.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello,

All the Smart cars sold in the USA are 1 liter gasoline -- why aren't the 750cc (or smaller?) versions available?

[MetroMPG]

Neil - the previous generation smart with the small diesel was sold in Canada for a number of years. The new model the US has now is the same as we get here - gas engine only.

Keith: congrats on the media exposure.

I doubt you'll see any effect with VGs. I've not seen any credible evidence that they make a significant difference on the trailing edge of a bluff bodied vehicle like your smart.

The benefits of a partial boat tail, however, are not theoretical. Properly designed, it will undoubtedly reduce drag & lower highway fuel consumption. As far as aeromods go, the back of the vehicle is definitely where you should focus your attention (both professionally and on your own vehicle!).

Darin

[smartzuuk]

The VG guy gave me some extras to test... I wonder what vehicle they will work better on, if not mine. A few smart owners have reported improved handling at highway speed with VG installed.

Rear wheel skirts are the obvious gimme right? Well, as soon as I have a narrower set of wheels.