Smoothing the way for future of fuel

Some drivers advised rookie contestants in the EneryWise Rally to drive with a wide throttle opening in high gear and low revs. Others said keep the revs constant and change gears smoothly.

Whatever the advice, the results in the inugural Auckland/Wellington/Auckland fuel efficiency rally will form the basis of a database on the fuel economy of vehicles in New Zealand conditions.

More than 40 vehicles entered the event and two standard Peugeot diesel cars dominated the four-day run. The 2-litre Peugeot 406 HDi sedan driven by veteran motoring journalist Donn Anderson was outright winner of the event, carrying off the Environmental Award after averaging a remarkably thrifty 4.2 litres/100 km (66.9mpg) for the 1500 kilometre drive.

In the process, the 406 also won the 0-2000cc diesel car class by a comfortable margin.

Team-mate Mike Marshall, a New Zealand rally champion in the 1970s, finished runner-up in a new Peugeot 307 HDi hatchback, providing a convincing 1-2 for the French marque.

Marshall's 66kW (90 bhp) award-winning 307 returned 4.4 litres/100 km (63.6 mpg) to finish second in the class, well ahead of the next most economical diesel car.

Both Peugeots were more economical than any other petrol or diesel competitor, defeating small 1.0-litre mini-cars in the process.

The 80kW (110 bhp) Peugeot 406 established an early lead in the event and consolidated its position, using a modest 63.37 litres of diesel fuel for the entire journey.

In comparison, the most economical petrol car consumed 71.17 litres of fuel. Of the five hybrid and non-commercial fuel option cars, which included petrol/electric vehicles, only one produced a better fuel figure than the two Peugeots.

The Hybrids are not sold in New Zealand and were ineligible for placings in the event.

The EnergyWise Rally was an initiative of the Motor Industry Association and had the support of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (ECCA) and Gull Petroleum New Zealand Ltd.

It was designed to highlight the fuel efficiency of new cars, driven under real-world New Zealand conditions, providing results that could be replicated by vehicle owners.

"This was no slow-speed economy drive," said winner Anderson. "We had to average speeds as high as 84km/h which was no mean feat given road works, temporary speed limits, and 50km/h passage through towns.

"Despite the relatively large size of the Peugeot 406, the economy of this diesel model is truly exceptional.

"In fact, I don't think most New Zealanders realise just how economical this car is," he said.

Diesel entrants had to overcome an adjustment in the race for the Environmental Award. The ECCA applied a CO2 emission adjustment to the consumption figures for diesel cars.

Because diesel powered vehicles are usually at least 25 per cent more economical than petrol models, they were given a penalty of 13.9 per cent when the Environmental Award was being determined. Event organiser Graeme Barlow said: "The fuel efficiency of diesel cars needs to be recognised, particularly when combined with their superb driveability."

The Peugeot 406 HDi has a reputation for outstanding fuel economy. Two years ago Anderson completed 1971.6 kilometres on one tankful in a 406 diesel saloon.

It was the longest distance ever covered by a production car in New Zealand without refuelling.

More recently in Australia, a Peugeot 406 HDi established a world record for economy on a tankful of fuel.

"Diesel cars have always been recognised as economical, but the results of the rally simply strengthen the argument," he said. The event was run in difficult conditions, with high winds, rain, and even a scattering of snow on the Desert Road in the central North Island.

Eighteen carmakers from France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Britain and Australia were represented.

Honda was another carmaker to do particularly well. It won five of the seven classes it entered. Its 1.4-litre Jazz models proved more economical than sub-1.0-litre baby cars.

The suggestion was that outside of city driving conditions a reasonable power to weight ratio is necessary to overcome aerodynamic drag at highway speeds. The Jazz CVT driven by Paul Berridge achieved 4.7 l/100km (59.5mpg), easily beating the Jazz manual of Rob Askew (5.1 l/100km 55.2mpg) into second place just ahead of the Toyota Echo of motoring journalist Jacqui Madelin.

In the small 1401-2000cc class, the Civic 1.5 VTi sedan of former Nissan executive Glenn Johnston beat the Kia Rio of former rally driver and now Member of Parliament Paul Adams, with a figure of 5.8 l/100km (48.6mpg).

This Civis was expected to perform better than this, but a suspected air lock in the fuel system prevented a complete fill at the start, meaning that the car only achieved its full potential on the second half of the event. Graham Price's Civic 1.7 Vi hatch achieved 6.0 l/100km (47.3mpg) to take the small-medium 1601-2500cc class from Rob Lester's Toyota Corolla and the Ford Focus of television frontman Simon Dallow and Ford's Edward Finn.

The winner of the 2001-3000cc petrol class was a 3.5-litre Mitsubishi Diamante, which recorded 7.4 l/100km (38.2mpg), ahead of the second-placed Honda Odyssey.

Racing drivers Greg Murphy and Jason Richards recorded around 10 l/100km in the 5.7-litre Holden SS.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7, driven by Jocelyn Watkin, easily won the petrol four-wheel-drive class with 7.7 l/100km 36.9mpg).

There were four entries in the class for hybrids and cars burning non-commercial fuels.

The Honda Insight driven by TV3's Shaun Summerfield was the runaway winner of this class, with an incredible 3.6 l/100km (78.6mpg).

In third place, marginally behind the Volkswagen Golf TDI running on biodiesel was the Civic Hybrid of New Plymouth motoring journalist Rob Maetzig, which achieved 4.7 l/100km (60.6mpg).

The diesel four-wheel-drive segment included a Land Rover Freelander Td4, driven by Automotive News editor Alastair Sloane and research industry executive Phil Dunbar, a Suzuki Grand Vitara, driven by former rally driver Grant Aitken and a Ssangyong Rexton.

The Land Rover and Suzuki finished first equal, averaging 6.4l/100km over the 1500km. But the Freelander won the Environmental Ranking.

Dunbar drover from Auckland to Wellington and Sloane did the return trip, via Hastings. It was Dunbar's first attempt at a fuel efficiency rally and he started well, recording fuel useage of just over 5l/100km on the first leg from Auckland to Rotorua.

Dunbar agreed with winner Anderson. "The Freelander certainly shattered the old myths about slow and smelly diesels."

EECA set out to make the rally a carbon dioxide neutral event by planting the first of 150 trees in Wellington, Palmerston North and Auckland.

It was EECA's way of taking responsibility for energy use and the associated carbon dioxide emissions.

Its CEO Heather Staley said: "The tree planting is our way of leading by example in overcoming the impact of our activities on the environment.

"If New Zealanders buy wisely and drive wisely we will make real progress towards achieving a sustainable energy future.", Ms Staley said.

The 42 cars involved in the rally emitted around 11 tonnes of CO2. Fifty new trees are required to make the event carbon dioxide neutral.

The carbon dioxide emitted from the average family car over the course of a year is substantial. The average family would have to plant seven trees every year for the life of the car.

The rally highlighted the savings that can be made by both driving and buying wisely. The average family could save up to $670 a year on fuel by driving efficiently, said organiser Barlow.