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The vehicle leaves the factory with the following:
*high pressure, low rolling resistance tires
*rear wheel skirts and underbelly aeropan
*body tapers toward the rear - it gets narrower on the top, bottom, and both sides.
*idle engine stop and instant re-start
*breathable fabric seats to reduce HVAC load
*agressive, expensive weight-reducing measures
*synthetic 0W20 is specified
But that's not enough to reach the project goals of 70mpg average and a 1000 mile tank while exceeding the speed limit. I plan:
*Manual control of the IMA electric assist and engine kill/restart.
*Warm air intake to allow lean burn in the winter.
*Engine heater for the winter. I'm thinking about the coolant-circulating type.
*super-stock aerodynamics. This car starts out with excellent aero, but there's a litte room for improvement.
Since I'm starting with a clean slate in the front bumper cover region, why not go with a CFD-optimized nose wedge with a tiny radiator opening?
I'd also like to do front wheel skirts. Maybe I'll relocate a mirror or two to inside the door. Since this is a small car, there's room at the back for a boat tail... but I don't think I'm going to go there.
*Weight reduction. 65 BHP, remember. I've already completed my first successful ecomod: I removed the 465g (1.1lb) decorative plastic engine cover and mounted it on my wall at home, where it belongs. The 1681g (3.8lb) glove box is having a hard time justifying its existance. I'm looking at canvas replacement options. The rest of the interior is made of lightweight materials that I would swear are just plain cheap if I didn't know better.
*Reduced electrical load. LED marker lights? Probably not. They're just too expensive.
Wish me luck! I hope I can pull this off.
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