One Gallon Challenge - Boston, MA - 8/16/12

[JethroBodine]

I got some of the pics up loaded, but apparently Photobucket is doing some kind of maintenance;



The two cars in the parking lot.



Getting Bruce's car juiced up. they had Kil-a-watts on the shelf for $29. I don't know what they are else where, but if all my pennies weren't already spoken for, I'd have grabbed one.



It seems that Bruce is well prepared for any emergency tuft testing...



and then some. That's part of Bruce's battery management system on the floor, the main contacts for his Lithium and lead acid deep cycles.



And thanks again to Greenfield Solar Store.

[brucepick]

Nice work, JethroBodine!! I didn't even notice you getting all those pics. And thx again for the tips re. Injectors & O-rings.

And double thanks to the Greenfield Solar Store. Getting batteries charges up - with a welcome smile far from home - is wonderful.

Just arrived home from Boston, exhausted. Got 58.76 mpg on the run, but I'm going from memory on that. Paper records are on the car. More later.

[sheepdog 44]

Any pics of the other cars? Did you drive into Boston with any other competitors?

[JethroBodine]

Bruce- How'd you like the event. Something to shoot for next year?

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

Bruce- How'd you like the event. Something to shoot for next year?

Wow, what a day. Got up at 5 a.m., got home 10:30 p.m. Drove 360 miles in total, from home to Greenfield MA starting point, then 135 mi. to downtown Boston, then back to CT at night.

I recharged the deep cycle batteries at the Solar Store of Greenfield and again at GreenFest, for the trip home.

I would do it again. It would hope for these changes:

1) Have the One Gallon Challenge (OGC) on a Saturday. GreenFest runs all day Fri & Sat with Thurs really as a setup day for displays and vendors etc. Organizers hope the cars and drivers will stay for Fri and Sat to be met and seen by the public. If we arrive Sat afternoon we can meet the public without taking two days off work with all the expenses of overnight travel. I came home Thurs evening and worked Friday, am not trekking back to Boston Saturday (tomorrow).

2) Permit drivers to start at a location of their own choosing, with a suggested driving distance and a recommendation to use scenic state roads in preference to interstates. I met two other OGC drivers at GreenFest and neither had started at either of the two designated start points.

[brucepick]

OK, so how was the drive for the One Gallon Challenge?

The route was about 110 miles with about 15 of that being interstates near Boston. The rest are smaller roads, mostly 2-lane. I did fine following the route for about 21 miles, then missed a critical left turn. Critical because I then drove south alongside a narrow north-south lake, with no detected crossing back to the original route. Approx 40 (!!) miles later I found what town i was in. Reading an old-school map, I planned a workable route and told Garmin to take me to Ware and then towards Sturbridge. Slghtly east of Sturbridge I found an entance to I-90, the Mass Pike. I got on headed east to Boston with a mere (!!!) 60 miles yet to go. Total distance 135 miles.

I had done well on fuel economy prior to getting on the interstate, with the MPGuino showing just under 63 mpg at that point. Traffic had been sparse and I was able to pulse and glide to good advantage. The Civic's aero properties served me well on the Mass Pike and just outside Boston the 'Guino was just under 61 mpg, not bad at all. I had to deal with heavy traffic in Boston and ended up slightly under 59 mpg overall.

[brucepick]

Other One Gallon Challenge vehicles at GreenFest:

I spoke at length with Jory Squibb, who is retired following a career teaching physics. Showing capabilities beyond those of the classroom, Jory single-handed an Atlantic crossing by sail power some decades ago. Jory rode "Sunbeam", a human and electric powered quadricycle 40 miles to get it to GreenFest. An electric motor powered by a 20AH LiFePO4 battery gives an assist on hills.

I also spoke with Bill Buchholz, who drove the Dirigo to Boston from Maine. This vehicle has an approx 30 HP Daihatsu diesel and an aero body of fiberglassed wood (cedar?) over a metal frame. It is highway capable and began life as an X-Prize contest entry. Dirigo Car | Cross Country Rally Green