Canadian smart car aiming for 100 mpg (US)

[MetroMPG]

I got an e-mail from the person behind the web site 100mpg.ca

He started the site a year or so back as a personal project to raise awareness of a Canadian federal greenhouse gas reduction program. His goal was to drive across the country, raising awareness, while aiming for a target of 100 mpg (Imperial).

He's also seen some FE numbers close to the 100 mpg (US) mark, and he's aiming for that next (for a single trip).

I invited him to drop by Gassavers to let us know what he's up to. He had some good questions about tire sizes, pressure, rolling resistance & weight reduction.

I'm particularly interested to hear about the specific driving techniques owners of these cars use to get the highest efficiency. They're 3-cyl 799 cc common rail diesels with sequential gearboxes. A whole other kettle of fish compared to most of our cars!



The smart along side one of University of BC's "IT" electric cars. (Funky NEV's made in the Vancouver area: http://www.itiselectric.com/ )

[95metro]

I can't make heads or tails out of that 100 mpg site...where's the data??? Yeah, I know - he's making more of a statement than crunching numbers.

I actually like the utility version if the IT car...kinda neat. I wonder what the prices are...

[MetroMPG]

In the right column of his site he has his FE image showing 3.6L/100 km. Click it and you get to this page with his full history:

http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/119856.html

(Unfortunately the Metrically - and German - challenged may have some fun translating the data.)

Price of the IT is around $15k US. A competitor (another Canadian company) makes a 2-seat NEV/LSV that starts around $10K US:

http://feelgoodcars.com

[MetroMPG]

Oh, and I forgot to mention: he told me in his e-mail that his first car was a Suzukiclone.

Obviously this guy has smarts.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Oh, and I forgot to mention: he told me in his e-mail that his first car was a Suzukiclone.

Obviously this guy has smarts.

[95metro]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

makes a 2-seat NEV/LSV that starts around $10K US:

$10k...that's about the cost to build a decent one...if you're not going with the ForkenSwift method...

[MetroMPG]

True. But you know what? It's a LOT of work.

[kickflipjr]

I have seen the 100mpg site before.

Smart cars are cool, but they are not being sold in the US yet. or If they are it is in very limited sales.

Speaking of limited sales...

I saw a lotus eliese on the road the other day.

[MetroMPG]

They're selling them through ZAP! - at around $25K US (they start here at around $17K CDN). I read somewhere that ZAP recently delivered their 200th one.

[95metro]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

True. But you know what? It's a LOT of work.

Yeah, but you know that's the price you pay for a hobby, isn't it? If our brains didn't find it fun we wouldn't do it.

Hard work = enjoyment & satisfaction & fun (with some occasional pain and frustration mixed in)...

[Randy]

I spotted a smart fortwo here the other day. It was booking along in the left lane in a 70 mph section.

Even if they officially bring it here, I doubt the diesel would be an option. What American buyers want and all that.

[smartzuuk]

I've done a couple runs now on B80, but the mileage results aren't spectacular. About 90 mpg imperial... not that close to the 113 I got last year.

I am reducing the biodiesel content on Wednesday and running again. We'll see how it goes I guess. Wind has a big effect on the smart.

BTW - I am running 43 PSI cold. Cruise control, 81 kmh ( 51 mph ), and not much else...

[Mighty Mira]

Hi Smartsuuk,

A few questions:
1) Is the underside fared?
2) Any plans to do some aftermarket aero mods to it?

Thanks in advance.

[smartzuuk]

the underside of the car has covers, which may help

I also have a front spoiler

[smartzuuk]

Here's the story from my site:

Mission Complete
Posted by NRG SVR in 100 MPG Challenge | Edit
7:45 pm, Wadena, SK
Excellent wind conditions today, blowing from the south-east, allowed me to accomplish my goal of beating 100 miles per US gallon.
I departed Yorkton, SK at approx 4 pm and made a near perfect 81 kmh trip to Wadena, passing through Canora on hwy 9, and then through Buchanan, Rama, and a few other small towns on Hwy 5.
As per the GPS, the trip was 151.13 km. I filled at the Wadena Coop - twice in fact - to make sure the fuel level was as full as it could be… I filled 3.104 litres and then another 0.273 litres - and each time painstakingly made sure there was no foam. Even 5 ml overflowed. I was brutally AR on this, more than ever before - the Coop attendants were curiously dumbfounded as to why, but nevermind. :-)
151.13 km on 3.377 litres works out to 44.75 kms to a litre, or 2.23 L/100km.
That in turn works out to 126 mpg (imperial), and for my US friends, 105 mpg (US).
I had dwindled the B80 biodiesel I ran with yesterday to approx B20. I will recap this in detail later. Temperature today was 24 to 26 celcius.
Also - I did make this trip with all of my luggage and extra biodiesel. Based on a government scale yesterday in Melfort, let’s call that 80 kgs, or 170 lbs, minimum, probably more, as I picked up another 15 litres of biodiesel today at Foam Lake. The car and luggage scaled in at 810 kgs yesterday, and I’m 110 kgs.
I have some pictures to post of course, but for now, I’m going to shower and get a hot meal. A storm has also moved in, and lightening with it.

(source)
This was my fourth serious attempt at beating 100 mpg US since yesterday. I only wish the distance had been longer, but I am out of weather (and time) to do anything further in this area this time around.

[Compaq888]

so this thing costs $15,000 US dollars????
Is this what I am reading??

[thisisntjared]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

so this thing costs $15,000 US dollars????
Is this what I am reading??

cheapest benz 3V4R!!!!!!

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

cheapest benz 3V4R!!!!!!

$15k is kinda steep. Doesn't matter if it's getting 100mpg. Sorry but 15k is too much.

[SVOboy]

An extra thousand over the yaris sounds good to me.

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

An extra thousand over the yaris sounds good to me.

try $2k

[SVOboy]

I wouldn't pay anything more than 20% under sticker, but that's just me...

Besides, a new car, 15k, safety, reliability, low cost of ownership, waste oil power...

[thisisntjared]

woah woah wait wait wait.

are you saying you wouldnt pay $1-2k more for a mercedes over a toyota?????

i definitely would.

[SVOboy]

I'm not particularly in love with mercedes anymore, now that it's sold out to the devil.

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

woah woah wait wait wait.

are you saying you wouldnt pay $1-2k more for a mercedes over a toyota?????

i definitely would.

I WOULDN'T BUY mercedes if it was CHEAPER than the toyota.

[90CivicStandard]

There's a dealership that I drive by every day that has a few of these.

Funny thing is it's an exotic car dealership. lol

I thought they would be more than $15k. That actually sounds pretty reasonable to me. I wonder if the ones at the local dealership are diesel??

I should stop by and ask, although I wouldn't get much help rolling into an exotic car dealership in my 90 civic. lol.

[thisisntjared]

man your loss, guys. the smart feels wonderful to drive. for city driving there is nothing better. other that a bicycle or a comfy set of free trade shoes.

[The Toecutter]

I'm interested in the Smart Roadster-Coupe. But I'd be much more interested if they used a 200+ horsepower straight 6 turbodiesel. Since no one is making a car like that(too fast for its own good AND fuel efficient), I'll spend some time drooling over the VW Eco Racer concept.

[smartzuuk]

It's October now, and I've really kinda maxed out on what I can accomplish with the smart. Yes, I could acquire the 3.5 fron wheels from Europe with 135 tires (these were originally used with the CDI in Germany), and mount the fronts on the rear (145) and go for some new high... but really, I need a new set of wheels.

I have been contemplating acquiring an Insight, just to see what I could do with one of those (a 5 speed to be sure)... I'm thinking that day in and day out the Insight would get me 20% better mileage overall - but would it really beat the smart on a single run on the highway?

[kickflipjr]

I am glad to see you put your car in the gaslog.

I don't know heard of it but the jet car is the same engine as the smart but achives much higher mpg due to weight reduction and better areodynamics.

http://www.metrompg.com/posts/mpg-miscellany.htm
http://www.jetcar.de/english/index.htm

[MetroMPG]

Hi smartzuuk...

Thanks for the update. I keep seeing the little smart beasties around town (was coasting down a long hill behind one just yesterday, as a matter of fact). I'd jump at the chance to drive one with a fuel economy display hooked up.

As for the Insight, there are a couple of owners on this forum who may pipe up with an answer.

Dan (krousdb) owns an older Civic VX hatchback with lean burn, and he can maintain 75 mpg (US) in steady 55 mph cruising in warm weather. I suspect the Insight can exceed that, though my understanding is that its lean burn "window" is narrower than the old VX.