High Schoolers Create Car That Gets 1,693 Miles-Per-Gallon
Warning: This article may cause serious arousal in environmentally-conscious individuals and/or anyone distraught at the current price of gasoline.
Engineering students from high schools all over Indiana are preparing to enter their automotive creations into an annual mileage competition. The majority of entries achieve fuel economy that most people only fantasize about, with many cars breaking the 1,000 miles-per-gallon (mpg) mark. That's right, 1,000-mpg.
The annual Super Mileage Challenge is hosted by the Indiana Mathematics, Science, Technology and Education Alliance (IMSTEA) and takes place on April 28 at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Last year's winner, Mater Dei High School from Evansville, produced a vehicle capable of doing 1,345-mpg. That's not bad, but they weren't satisfied. Mater Dei went back to work and quickly upped their creation's fuel economy to 1,693-mpg.
Please excuse the rest of us while we sob at the wheel of our "economy" cars. 30-mpg now seems so very Hummer-like. Damn you, brilliant teenagers. By damn you, of course, we mean congratulations on your absurd brilliance.
From Newsvine.com
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
sctommy @ Mar 24th 2008 8:11PM
OK...so High schoolers can figure this stuff out.... What the heck is the matter with the auto industry? We aren't asking for 1693 mpg. Just 75 would do!!!!!!
Cecil Jones @ Mar 24th 2008 8:23PM
This project should be red lighted and imposed on the industry. Gas prices should be frozen at the prewar rate until this project is in place. What a victory in the war on terror done by the next generation. Yeah America!
dlei1 @ Mar 24th 2008 8:25PM
Now if the big oil companies don't buy and destroy these plans we might actually have something worthwhile here.
gpspilot @ Mar 24th 2008 11:41PM
1693 miles per gallon is not that impressive, compared to the 2005 winner of the Shell Eco-marathon. That car attained 12,665 miles per gallon. Shell points out that it would be possible for the Eco-Marathon winner "to travel three times around the equator on the same amount of fuel that Concorde needed to reach the end of the runway."
Beckieb286 @ Mar 25th 2008 7:49AM
Car makers can also make cars that can drive hundreds of thosands of miles but they don't due to the fact that they will lose money since consumers won't have to buy another car until the body rots out. For example tow trucks and Mack trucks can max out the odometer and restart.
Ordinary Radical @ Mar 25th 2008 12:11PM
Sctommy & Cecil - You do realize these vehicles are "cars" in name only - They have no safety structure, no storage space, no towing/cargo capacity, no a/c, no fm radio, no lights, no suspension. Essentially, these are ultra-lightweight go-carts with aerodynamic coverings. If we were willing to do without all the electronic do-dads and fancy interiors and off-road ability, we could easily double the fuel economy. But that ain't going to happen.
Peter Burger @ Mar 25th 2008 1:19PM
In 1933 a man named Pogue came up with a hot vapor carb and the gasoline companies changed the formula to defeat it . How many more inventions are hidden.It's time to break their control.We can make a differents. Check out http://ww.thefinfuelvaporizer.com
Joseph Farinella @ Mar 25th 2008 3:10PM
If you click on Peter Burger's link about the fin fuel vaporizor you will not have success finding the site unless you add the third w to www. This works.
danone @ Mar 25th 2008 8:13PM
the technology exist to achieve 100 plus mpg, but remember big oil (EXXON'S $40 BILLION) controls America and American govt. So there!
ash @ Mar 25th 2008 8:14PM
I want one!!!
wiseup1 @ Mar 25th 2008 8:17PM
Hooray for America's future! How proud their parents, families and teachers must be of them.
I am proud to be an American, now and always have been!!
FJW @ Mar 25th 2008 8:20PM
WE ARE NOT LIMITED BY TECHNOLOGY. THE PROBLEM IS ECONOMICS. HOW DO WE KEEP PEOPLE WORKING AND MAKING A LIVING TO PAY FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT. THERE IS A COST TO EVERYTHING. IMAGINE IF YOU WILL, THAT YOU ARE SITTING ON LAND THAT HAS
ALMOST UNLIMITED OIL RESERVES. WOULD YOU GIVE IT AWAY TO EVERYONE JUST SO THEY COULD PAY LESS. EVEN IF YOU DID THIS, WHO WOULD PAY FOR THE REFINEING OF THE CRUDE. ALSO, TRANSPORTATION TO THE GAS STATIONS. ALL OF THESE FACILITIES WOULD HAVE TO BE FREE. WHO IS GOING TO WORK FOR FREE ?
Michael @ Mar 25th 2008 8:20PM
What size are the cars? Lets get real here. Is it a go-cart or a real car?
ifonly... @ Mar 25th 2008 8:25PM
There have actually been cars developed much earlier that got mpg much lower than this, like 300 or so, but still a large jump from our 23, but the oil industry bought up the plans and locked them up. There was even a car developed to run on water. Only problem was the man who man who created it was assasinated.
Ps. the reason we stil have 20 mpg cars is cause the oil industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and they don't want that to change. Also, all that money has power.
geneticswhiz @ Mar 25th 2008 8:28PM
These kids will be rich! The oil companies will pay them millions upon millions to keep the technology off the market!!! Perhaps the automobile industry will pay them big bucks for the technology and then have the oil companies pay the automobile industry the millions upon millions to keep the technology off the market...just as it probably already is happening. Of course the politicians in Washington will probably get millions in kick-backs to pass legislation to stop the technologies from going to market...its developed by teens...can't possibly be safe for the public!!!
Brady Turley @ Mar 25th 2008 8:29PM
hey, thanks for telling us how they did it. Im guessing its probably a 2 stroke weedeater motor on an aluminum frame that is no bigger than the average human could sit on. Its just not a plausable solution for automanufactures.
manny @ Mar 25th 2008 8:35PM
Well I think the HS kids are anti-Capitalism. 2000 mpg car is rediculous. how are all these rich folk gonna live if we become independent of oil. Those kids better hide , sell the idea or just shelf it if they know whats good for them.
Tonya @ Mar 25th 2008 8:54PM
It should be painfully obvious why current vehicles are only capable of 30-45 mpg...BECAUSE THE BIG CORPORATIONS AND OIL INVESTERS THAT RUN THIS COUNTRY WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. The oil companies and investers would go bankrupt if cars even tripled their current MPG, not to mention if cars got over 1000 mpg.
You don't believe me...then why aren't the 70 MPG diesel Smart Fortwo's allowed in the US...you're not even allowed to import them from oversees. Hmmmm, I wonder why that is????
Greed and corruption run this country...have no doubts!
mastersg33 @ Mar 25th 2008 8:57PM
http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/technologyed/graphics/car.jpg
thats not even a car. i'm not saying highers mpg's arent available, but its not going to happen like this.
Stanley Harris @ Mar 25th 2008 8:59PM
The big oil companies will definitly not allow engines to be developed that will get thousands of miles a gallon. The government will back them up. Anyone who doesn't think this country is run by the rich just isn't thinking. We ordinary citizens are all getting screwed by business and government. There isn't a congressman or a senator that isn't a millionaire, so who do you think they support.