Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant-53
If enough people build these great machines hopefully there will be a category for them in the Green Grand Prix. Could we possibly see 500 mpg at 45 mph some day?
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Absolutely. I'm certain the potential is there.
The Shell Eco Marathon sees vehicles every year that do significantly better than 500mpg, and those are designed and built by students. 2015's winning student car did over 800mpg and was designed and built by high school students, not college students.
Get people with a bit more schooling and experience in on the project, perhaps with access to better materials, and the results will be even better. The cars arent' getting anywhere close to 45mph, but they're not moseying along at walking pace, either.
The Microjoule team in France - I have no idea what stage they're competing on, as it is far and away a whole different league than what I just quoted - has produced over 10,000mpg from their car.
This is probably a completely different kind of event. I imagine the car isn't going very fast at all. But even so, you can see just by looking at the car that moving it down the road doesn't take much motivation. 500mpg at 45mph might be in its performance envelope.
Whether the car can actually sustain 45mph is another question. It's about as high as a doorstop.
EM member Allert Jacobs whistled up well over 230mpg in a 125cc streamlined Honda scooter, and that was at 55mph. With careful attention to aerodynamics, weight and power optimization do I think 500mpg is attainable at 45? Yes I do. It's only a matter of time.