Real World Vehicle Efficiency Reports Reports prepared in 'Real World' circumstances with a variety of vehicles to document the actual fuel consumed on trips. Download a blank RWVER and fax it in with your results!
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I own a Dodge 1500 pickup with a 5.7 liter Hemi engine producing 350HP |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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However, driven sensibly, it can get greatly improved fuel economy! I use the truck to tow a small (20 foot) travel trailer, and at other times a small (21 foot) boat. The rig is well suited to this purpose. At 55 - 57 MPH towing the 3500 pound trailer the engine is only turning over at 1700 RPM. Loafing along. |
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08 Saturn VUE XE V6 - 23.3 MPG |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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In late October 2007 I rented an '08 Saturn VUE equipped with AWD, V6 engine & auto transmission that has an EPA rating of 15/22 MPG. I drove from Sacramento to El Cerrito, then to Sebastopol, Santa Rosa & Calistoga. From Calistoga I drove the winding road up to Lake County where I connected with Hwy 20 to Williams, then I-5 back to Sacramento. This 396 mile trip included city and highway driving. I obeyed posted speed limits and did not exceed 55 MPH with a few exceptions, such as on I-5 even at 60 PM I was being passed by every other vehicle on the road, including big rigs doing 65 plus. The Saturn used 16.96 gallons of fuel for this 396 mile trip, which works out to 23.34 MPG, 1.3 MPG better than the EPA rating! |
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2006 Toyota Corolla - 40 MPG @ 55 MPH |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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The hybrids that passed me were consuming more fuel.
This Real World Vehicle Report documents a 264 mile round trip from Sacramento to Guerneville, California on August 11, 2006. The rented 2006 Toyota Corolla 4 door equipped with A/C and a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine with automatic transmission carries an estimated MPG of 30 in the city and 38 on the highway.
As usual, in town I carefully obeyed all speed limits and when I was on the highway I set the cruise control at 55 MPH and occasionally hit 60 for brief periods. I turned the A/C system off and rolled the windows down about halfway instead. Though it was a warm day I was not unduly uncomfortable - especially when I thought about the citizens of Bagdad living with just 4 hours a day of electricity, and how uncomfortable that must be. Soon I was in the Bay Area and it was a cool 70 degrees anyway! So, by not using the A/C I saved another 20% of fuel.
The car was very comfortable and had lots of room. I took the wheels off my bike and the whole thing fit nicely in the trunk with room to spare. When I refueled it took 6.56 gallons and the odometer indicated I had driven 264 miles, which works out to 40.24 miles per gallon, or 40 MPG in this $12k-$15k car available to buy right now.
The hybrids that passed me were consuming more fuel. |
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2006 Toyota Solara, 331 miles, 32 MPG @ 60 MPH |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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V6 Cyl, 5 Spd Auto Trans, EPA 29/20
This RWVER (Real World Vehicle Efficiency Report) journey started in Sacramento, CA where I got on I-80 and drove east to the Hwy 12 exit towards Napa through the rolling hills of wine country through Sonoma and Santa Rosa to the Sebastopol, CA, area where I stayed overnight. The next day we drove to the coast, then went south on HWY 1 to Bodega Bay, where we again turned east to Hwy 101, south to Hwy 37, which took us across the Bay and connects with I-80 at Vallejo, which we took back to Sacramento. |
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2005 Subaru Outback, 857 miles, 28-29 MPG @ 55-60 MPH |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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4 Cyl, 4 Spd Auto Trans, EPA 22/28
This RWVER (Real World Vehicle Efficiency Report) journey started in Sacramento, CA where I got on I-5 and drove first to Willows and then took back roads to Red Bluff, CA, where I stayed overnight, and then over the mountain range through the Mendocino forest on forest roads M1 & M21 to Hwy 101. In Ukiah I stayed a night and the next day drove to Lake Sedona, Guerneville and Cazadero before heading back to Sacramento. |
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2005 Toyota Highlander 32 MPG @ 55 MPH |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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V6, Auto - EPA 19/25 MPG (Hybrid 33/28/30) This journey was from Sacramento to the Community center in Sebastopol, CA. I rented the vehicle from Hertz and reset the trip meter when I topped off the tank before leaving Sacramento at 10 AM, arriving at the first stop at 11:50 AM. Cruise control set on 55 MPH: (32 MPG)
Sacramento to Sebastopol exit off Hwy 101, 100 miles, 2 hours, 3.11 gallons = 32.15 MPG Cruise control set on 60 MPH: (25 MPG)
Sebastopol exit to Sebastopol Community Center and then return to Sacramento: 119 miles, 2 hours 4.80 gallons = 24.79 MPG Download a RWVER (Real World Vehicle Efficiency Report) form you can use to calculate and report your savings. |
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180 miles on 4 gallons of gas, 45 MPG |
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Real World Vehicle Efficency Reports
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Noting the bias of a recent article seeking to prove or disprove the potential savings that result from obeying the speed limit and never exceeding 55 MPH, I decided to do a test myself on a recent trip from Sacramento to Oakland, California, a 180 mile round trip. I rented a 2005 Kia Rio from Hertz and topped off the tank just before I left at 11 AM on Tuesday, November 1st, 2005. The Kia is a compact 4 door with a 4 speed auto transmission. It is equipped with a/c but I did not need it. The car did not have cruise control, so I manually kept the speed between 55 and 60 MPH, I accidently hit 65 a couple of times. I used the on board trip meter which indicated I had driven 180 miles when I pulled in for gas upon my return to Sacramento. I arrived in downtown Oakland at 12:40 PM, one hour and forty minutes! I did some shopping and visited a client. By 3 PM I was back on the freeway headed toward Sacramento. This time traffic was thicker and an accident closed several lanes so it took 3 hours to get home. A little after 6 PM I pulled in to a local station and filled the tank - it took exactly 4 gallons. This means that I got 45 MPG in this $10,000 4 door car, (rated by EPA at 32 MPG hwy) and clearly didn't lose a significant amount of time on the first leg of my trip. It is important to note the return trip took an extra hour and a half because some lead-foot speeder had overturned his SUV on the freeway, shutting down several lanes for hours as rescue workers labored to free the fool and clean up the mess. |
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Drive 55 KTLK Radio Interview |
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October 31 radio interview with Marc Germain on Los Angeles radio station KTLK 1150AM. Click Read More to listen. |
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Ideas to reduce GHG emmissions submitted to CARB |
In response to the California Air Resources Board solicitation for ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, October 1, 2007 the Drive 55 Conservation Project submitted these three pdf files offering our ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The files are named as follows:
Sept_2007_reduce_GHG.pdf (application/pdf) 88kb
Drive 55 Conservation Project Action Plan.pdf (application/pdf) 121kb
Emissions Impact of Elimination of the National 55 mph Speed Limit.pdf (application/pdf) 101kb
View all the submissions here.
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We need your help to contact these organizations, urging them to endorse the Drive 55 Conservation Project. Please look over the list below, and if you find you are a member or supporter of any of them, take a few minutes to send a letter or e-mail asking them to endorse the Drive 55 Conservation Project. If they hear from you it will help them to have confidence there is public support and encourage their endorsement.
Thank you in advance for your care and concern for this fragile environment we all share. |
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