Driving a car equipped with Goodyear’s Assurance Fuel Max tires, two drivers from Australia have broken the “48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record.”
The three-week drive through the Lower 48 covered more than 9,000 miles while showcasing the potential fuel savings gleaned from the new tire.
Helen and John Taylor had set the previous record in 2008 with a mark of 58.82 miles per gallon. With the just-completed journey, the Taylors achieved a significant improvement in fuel economy with a strong final mpg average of 67.90.
“While our own testing shows just how fuel-efficient these new tires are, we wanted to provide a real-world example of the difference Fuel Max Technology can make,” says Mark Cherveny, Goodyear’s brand manager for passenger car tires.
Having established the previous world record, the Taylors were eager to test what kind of difference the Fuel Max tires could make, Cherveny notes.
“We looked forward to the challenge of attempting to break our own world record drive through the 48 U.S. mainland states, and after only a few days of driving on these Goodyear tires, we knew we could shatter the record,” Helen Taylor recounts.
“We hope our record-breaking journey helps educate the driving public that decisions, such as choosing the right tires, using the right fuel and adopting fuel-saving driving techniques, can help anyone save money and fuel, and reduce carbon emissions,” she points out.
On July 28, the Taylors kicked off their long-distance drive just as they did last year – at a Shell gas station in Sterling, Va. The pair crossed the “finish line” in Ashburn, Va. at the Goodyear-branded, independently owned Virginia Tire & Auto.
The couple set out on the challenge in the same vehicle they used to set the previous record, a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI powered with Shell Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.
They stopped at Shell stations along the way; Shell has had a longstanding relationship with the Taylors, including their successful run for the global fuel economy record in 2006 and the continental U.S. world record in 2008.
Guinness World Records’ rules and regulations were strictly adhered to, including following all local maximum/minimum speed limits and traffic regulations. Fourteen official check-in and refueling stops across the country were included throughout the duration of the drive.
The couple followed a counter-clockwise route that included scheduled stops in Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana and West Virginia.
Some of the fuel-maximizing tactics the Taylors employed on the road included techniques such as avoiding idling and higher speeds, minimizing vehicle drag and performing regular vehicle maintenance.
“With more than 80 fuel economy and driving world records, Australia’s Taylors are no strangers to finding the latest, broadly available technological advancements to help them get the most out of a gallon of fuel,” Cherveny says. “Helen and John Taylor broke their own world record set last year, using the same car, the same fuel, and traveling the same route. We believe the difference this year is the set of Assurance Fuel Max tires.”
For more information, visit www.goodyear.com.
