Efficient driving and advanced fuel technologies highlighted the second annual Eco-Run conducted by the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) earlier this month.
Twenty-two cars were tested by automotive media members as a showcase, rather than a competition, of the various fuel systems used by top automotive manufacturers. The cars travelled from Ottawa to Montreal using techniques to help drivers achieve maximum mileage in various driving conditions.
Most surprising, many of the cars performed even better than their manufacturer-based numbers, with all cars making a combined average fuel economy of just 5.27 L/100 km. Cars were split into five main categories, including Electric, Plug-in Hybrid, Hybrid, Gasoline and Diesel. Not surprisingly, the electric vehicle consumption average was the lowest of the groups at 1.5 L/100 km, followed by the Plug-in Hybrid category (3.25), Hybrid (5.86), Gasoline (6.76) and Diesel (6.88).
Category leaders included the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Chevrolet Volt, VW Jetta Turbo Hybrid, Mazda3, and Chevrolet Cruze Diesel.
Of note, the diesels rated better on highway mileage, but not city mileage. The hybrid categories were also better than their gasoline counterparts in the city, while they had equal or even lesser mileage ratings on the highway.
A list of the vehicles included in the 2013 AJAC Eco-Run and their individual results are available at www.ajac.ca/eco-run.
