Possible to make/mod a 200 MPG highway cruiser?

[silverinsight2]

Already been done

Google VW 1L car

250 + mpg

[MetroMPG]

Holy cow! silverinsight2 - the link you originally posted has this photo:



This is the first picture I've seen with a person in the frame. The 1L is much smaller than I thought (not that there's anything wrong with that!). And I had seen many pictures of it before this one.

[igo]

Something like this, but with bigger wheels and powered by a scooter engine.

[DifferentPointofView]

This is the first picture I've seen with a person in the frame. The 1L is so much smaller than I thought (not that there's anything wrong with that!). And I had seen many pictures of it before this one.

WOW!!! Judging by the guy in the background, the car is only about 3 feet high! or less! I think my front bumper is taller than that! judging by the man sitting in it, my front bumper would smack him in the forehead, followed by the radiator in his skull... that's like the size of a shifter cart and as tall as a decent 4 wheeler!

[roflwaffle]

Little over four, but yeah, it's essentially a Honda hatch cut in half. Here's another pik w/ the same person.

[Andyman]

Originally Posted by bestmapman

I would like to know if anyone thinks it is possible to make/modify a car to get 200 MPG on the highway.

Here is the specs:

1000 miles unrefueled range
65 MPH average speed

Other than those specs, sky is the limit.

I have some formulas that would help to figure out what is required to do that. Here are two useful ones:

MPG=2343.75/(BSFC*F)

P=F*V/375

We can guess that the BSFC will be about 0.5 lb/hp*hr and we know that the MPG=200 so I'll rearrange the first formula to determine F (force in pounds).

F*MPG=2343.75/BSFC
F=2343.75/(BSFC*MPG)

F=2343.75/(0.5 * 200)
F=23.4375

Now I can calculate horsepower from F and V.

P=F*V/375

F=23.4375 LB
V=65 MPH

P=23.4375*65/375
P=4.0625 HP

I heard on the radio that a Ford Taurus has such low drag that it requires only 21 HP to go 65 MPH. The 200 MPG car needs to have its total drag reduced to less than 20% of the Taurus. This would require a very small frontal area, low coefficient of aerodynamic drag, light weight and very easy rolling tires. It should be possible. There are some streamlined bicycles that can go 60 MPH on about 1 HP of human muscle power. It should be no big problem to adapt to engine power and go 65 MPH on less than 4 HP. Of course the car would have to have a much smaller than normal engine. A one cylinder engine with about 200 cc (0.2 liter) seems about right for making 4 HP efficiently.

I found some pictures of a streamlined bicycle here:
Coslinger special HPV streamliner recumbent bicycle

Here is a graph of MPG vs speed for super efficient vehicles:
Super-Mileage Vehicle Fuel Economy as a Function of Speed

[Ryland]

isn't VW planing to build the 1 liter car? only using a more common plastic for the body instead of carbon fiber, and aluminum for the safety cage instead of magnesium, with a goal of 180-190mpg? I know that early on they weren't planing to build it because it would have to sell for around $17,000 but I suspect with the cheaper design it might sell for less.

[Andyman]

I read that they will build a limited number of them starting in 2010. Check this article.

Laugh at High Gas Prices With a 282-MPG VW | Autopia from Wired.com