AJAC Eco-Run Demonstrates Merits of Fuel-saving Technologies

Exercise proves official fuel-consumption figures can be achieved in real-world driving

TORONTO, June 21, 2013 /CNW/ - The second annual AJAC Eco-Run, conducted recently by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), produced some eye-opening results with respect to the relative merits of different fuel-saving technologies and the effect of driving style on fuel economy.

The 2013 Eco-Run, which began in Ottawa and ended in Montreal, was not intended to be a competition among vehicles but a demonstration of the broad range of technologies currently available to help consumers reduce their fuel consumption and costs.

The results of the exercise support a number of important observations and conclusions:

• First, and perhaps most important, when drivers deliberately apply fuel-efficient driving techniques, as the journalists taking part in this exercise did, they can achieve some remarkably low fuel-consumption figures.

• The overall average fuel-consumption for the 22 vehicles in the Eco-Run was just 5.27 L/100 km.

Significantly, that figure is below the average combined official fuel-consumption figures published in Natural Resources Canada's Energuide for the same vehicles.

The majority of the individual vehicles also bettered their official ratings, proving that they are in fact attainable in the real world when the vehicles are driven in a fuel-efficient manner.

• Perhaps surprisingly, that average also bettered the government's proposed fleet-average fuel-consumption target for 2025 (approximately 5.6 L/100 km).

While the group of vehicles in the Eco-Run does not represent the same distribution as that of the total vehicle population, the result is encouraging nonetheless, demonstrating that the target is potentially achievable with a broad mix of vehicle types.

• It is also important to note that these results, in most respects, equal or better the official fuel-consumption figures published in Natural Resources Canada's Energuide, proving that they are in fact attainable in the real world.

The 22 vehicles in the Eco-Run, provided by their manufacturers, encompassed a wide range of fuel-efficient technologies and powerplants, from battery-electric through plug-in and conventional hybrids, to advanced gasoline and diesel engines.

They ranged in size and type from sub-compact through compact cars to a full-size SUV and a pickup truck.

While no statistically valid conclusions can be drawn from the results in terms of car-to-car comparisons, several trends are apparent with respect to technologies:

• On a pure energy-efficiency basis, battery-electric vehicles (EVs) are by far the most efficient in both city and highway operation - for those whose lifestyle can accommodate the limited range and long recharge times inherent in EV use.

• Plug-in hybrids were the next-most-efficient as a group, achieving significantly better fuel economy than conventional hybrids in city driving, where they were able to operate in electric mode for much of the relatively short trips.

• Hybrids, as a group, had lower fuel consumption than gasoline or diesel vehicles overall, with a greater advantage apparent in city driving than on the highway. They were, however, the only group that did not better their official fuel-consumption ratings in the context of the Eco-Run.

• While hybrids excelled in city operation, when comparing vehicles of similar size and type the best of the gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles were as good as or better than some of the hybrids on the highway.

• The diesel-powered vehicles tended to be slightly more fuel-efficient than their direct gasoline counterparts in highway operation, but not in city operation.

"The Eco-Run was a great opportunity, not just for automotive journalists, but for all consumers to find out more about fuel efficiency and how easy it can be, no matter what you drive, to save money on fuel" said Ian Jack, CAA Managing Director of Communications and Government Relations.

The Eco-Run clearly demonstrated that consumers now have a broad range of fuel-efficient technologies available from which to choose, in a variety of vehicle types and sized to suit every purpose.  Eco-Run partners include; Natural Resources Canada, The Canadian Automobile Association, CrossChasm, Stantec and Schneider Electric.

A list of the vehicles included in the 2013 AJAC Eco-Run and their individual fuel-consumption results and NRCan ratings accompany this release. Further information is available at www.ajac.ca/eco-run.

2013 AJAC Eco-Run Fuel Consumption Summary
	Fuel Consumption (L(Le)/100km)				NRCan Ratings (L(Le)/100km)
	City Avg	Hwy Avg	Overall Avg		City	Hwy	Combined
Electric Vehicle
Ford Focus EV	1.81	1.74	1.78		1.7	2.0	1.8
Mitsubishi i-MiEV	1.18	1.22	1.22		1.9	2.4	2.1
smart fortwo electric drive	1.35	1.54	1.50		1.5	2.1	1.8
Electric Vehicle Average	1.45	1.50	1.50		1.7	2.2	1.9
Plug-in Hybrid
Chevrolet Volt	1.51	2.72	2.39		6.7	5.4	6.1
Ford Fusion Energi	1.65	4.12	3.44		4.3	4.7	4.5
Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid	2.63	4.38	3.91		4.0	4.2	4.1
Plug-in Hybrid Average	2.97	5.61	3.74		5.0	4.8	4.9
Hybrid
Ford C-MAX Hybrid	5.93	5.08	5.39		4.0	4.1	4.0
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid	6.08	6.63	6.54		5.5	4.6	5.1
Infiniti M35h	8.22	7.87	8.07		7.5	6.1	6.9
Lexus ES300h	5.75	5.78	5.83		4.7	5.1	4.9
Toyota Prius v	4.98	5.05	5.09		4.3	4.8	4.5
Volkswagen Jetta Turbocharged Hybrid	3.60	4.68	4.41		4.5	4.2	4.4
Hybrid Average	5.67	5.85	5.86		5.1	4.8	5.0
Gasoline
Kia Rio LX + ECO	7.16	6.04	6.44		6.8	5.4	6.2
Mazda CX-5	6.72	6.02	6.29		7.7	6.1	7.0
Mazda Mazda3	6.27	4.78	5.28		7.1	4.9	6.1
Mazda Mazda6	6.27	5.64	5.89		7.6	5.1	6.5
Mercedes-Benz B250	NA	NA	NA		7.9	5.5	6.8
Ram 1500 HFE	11.06	9.18	9.84		11.4	7.8	9.8
Subaru Forester	7.77	6.27	6.79		9.9	7.5	8.8
Gasoline Average	7.54	6.32	6.76		9.7	7.1	8.5
Diesel
Chevrolet Cruze Diesel	7.81	4.99	5.88		7.5	4.2	6.0
Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTEC	7.43	5.92	6.44		8.3	5.9	7.2
Porsche Cayenne Diesel	8.90	7.95	8.32		10.8	6.7	9.0
Diesel Average	8.05	6.29	6.88		8.9	5.6	7.4
Overall Average	5.43	5.12	5.27		6.2	4.9	5.6

SOURCE: Automobile Journalists Association of Canada

Siobhan Duffield, 519.563.8417, [email protected]