Volkswagen and Shell are backing the efforts of John and Helen Taylor, an Australian couple billed as “two of the world’s most fuel-efficient drivers,” in a counter-clockwise 8,000 mile trek to set a new record for the lowest fuel consumption on a nationwide drive. The Taylors will be driving a new 2009 clean diesel Jetta TDI, rated by the EPA at a very (!) conservative 29 city / 40 miles per gallon (MPG) highway.

The Taylors take off from Virginia today (September 3rd) are planning on a dozen fuel stops. Given their thrifty ways with the throttle, the Taylors should have little difficulty eclipsing the current record of 51.8 miles per gallon. The Taylors hold a Guinness World Record for their 2006 trip around the world in a VW Golf on just 24 tanks of fuel.

Like your diesel with a renewable twist?

Earth Biofuels is tackling the classic New York to Los Angeles route with Willie Run 2008, a biofueled adventure that seeks to go cross-country without stopping once for fuel. The trip aims to breath new life into Earth Biofuel’s Willie Nelson-branded biodiesel.

A jumbo auxiliary tank in the Willie One Jetta TDI will hold all the Bio Willie biodiesel needed to make the trip. Or so co-drivers Nik Bristow and Brian Pierce hope. Willie Run kicks off on September 22. Everyone is invited to become a sponsor … just five bucks will get your name on the car.

Earlier this year, the Taylors drove a pair of diesel powered Jeeps (a Compass and a Patriot) from London to Berlin - a total distance of 698.4 miles) on less than one tank of fuel each. Helen scored 66.76 MPG (approximately 55.6 US MPG) driving the Jeep Compass, while John hit 67.46 MPG (approximately 56.2 US MPG) in the Jeep Patriot.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid primarily competes with the Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Chevy Malibu Hybrid, and Saturn Aura Hybrid.

Under the hood, the Camry Hybrid is fitted with a Hybrid Synergy Drive system consisting of a 2.4 liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four cylinder engine, and electric motor producing a total of 187 horsepower (HP), along with an electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT).

The official gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Camry Hybrid are 33 city/34 highway miles per gallon (MPG).
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The Toyota Yaris competes with the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Chevy Aveo, among others in the subcompact market. Available as both a four door sedan and a three-door liftback, the Yaris slots in under the Corolla as the entry-level model in Toyota’s lineup.

Under the hood, the Yaris is fitted with 1.5 liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four cylinder engine, producing 106 horsepower (HP) and 103 foot pounds of torque.

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Dealers are slashing prices to move SUV inventory, and there’s been an unprecedented drop in value. While a good number of Americans still love their big SUVs, the sheer cost of filling the tank has eroded the enthusiasm of many.

For some folks, however, the drop in SUV prices has created a buying opportunity. For those with financial resources, the cost of gasoline is a minor expense and the current fire sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Carpe diem. It’s time to stock up and save.
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The term “where the rubber meets the road” directly applies to this issue. A properly inflated tire provides the optimum contact patch (the section of rubber that touches the road surface). An under-inflated tire, on the other hand, has a larger contact patch with increased rolling resistance. More friction where the rubber meets the road means your engine has to work harder, thus lowering fuel efficiency.

Straight line friction’s just part of the equation. Poor handling is an even larger culprit.
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Under the hood, all Corolla models with the exception of the XRS are fitted with Toyota’s 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four cylinder engine, which produces 132 horsepower (HP) and 128 foot pounds of torque. (The more powerful XRS is equipped with a beefier 2.4 liter, producing 158 HP and 162 foot pounds of torque.)

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The 2009 Escalade Hybrid’s 2-Mode Hybrid system mates a special transmission and battery pack to the big 6.0 liter V-8 to deliver 20 city and 21 highway MPG. At low speeds, the Escalade Hybrid can be propelled solely under electric power. At higher speeds, the gasoline engine and electric motor work in tandem. When you really put your foot in it, the gasoline engine takes over. Active Fuel Management shuts down half of the V-8’s cylinders under light loads to achive better gas mileage while cruising at highway speeds. Auto engine shut off turns the gasoline engine off when the Escalade Hybrid is stopped, saving additional fuel.
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Did CNN intend for the voyage to run into problems? Was this just a stunt, merely intended for a portion of the audience to say, “hey, I told you so!” Did it happen by chance or was it planned, in the hope of producing some memorable segments?

With all of the abundant information on the use of commercial biodiesel, why would CNN choose a thirty-year-old International Harvester Scout that was inadequately prepared (if at all) for the trip?

It’s common knowledge that biodiesel will loosen up the junk in a dirty fuel tank and clog up the fuel filter. It’s common knowledge that biodiesel attacks old school rubber fuel lines, requiring replacement with Vitron or other synthetic lines.

Why didn’t they hit the road with a modern diesel, rather then a decades-old relic?

Without the drama of a breakdown, the segments might have become downright boring. And they might have painted the oil industry in a less than positive light.

With a modern clean diesel, the trip would have been entirely uneventful … even cushy. The picture painted cruising down the Interstate in a Mercedes-Benz 320 Bluetec, VW Jetta TDI, or Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD just couldn’t compare …

Here’s a challenge to CNN.

Lets do a real biodiesel road trip. Lets take a fleet of cutting-edge high-MPG clean diesels and put them on the road for a week or two. Lets keep track of the real-world mileage results produced by each and every vehicle. Lets collect the data electronically and publish it on the Internet for every hard-working American to see as it happens.

I double dare ya …