"Nice ons." "Fuel cut." "Surf drafting." There are certain phrases that, when you hear them, you know you've not at your average automotive event. In fact, the drive we're setting out on today is something that has never been done before: taking three 2014 Audi TDI vehicles – a Q5, an A7 and an A6 – from Los Angeles to New York in 48 hours while attempting to beat the vehicles' official EPA fuel economy numbers. It's going to be an interesting combination of careful green driving and non-stop movement.
Two years ago, we had our first serious lesson on hypermiling with world record holder Wayne Gerdes and the CleanMPG crew. That endeavor saw a heavily packed Ford F-150 get 30+ mpg coast to coast. This time around, there will be more people, more vehicles and more speed. Even our bathroom and refueling breaks will be timed because this is a big country and 48 hours is not a lot of time. This is why Gerdes, during his pre-drive pep talk last night, ran us through the items listed above, as well as how to use the paddle shifters to improve our fuel economy and a bunch of other tips.
For the record, the EPA says the three vehicles are capable of the following:
Two years ago, we had our first serious lesson on hypermiling with world record holder Wayne Gerdes and the CleanMPG crew. That endeavor saw a heavily packed Ford F-150 get 30+ mpg coast to coast. This time around, there will be more people, more vehicles and more speed. Even our bathroom and refueling breaks will be timed because this is a big country and 48 hours is not a lot of time. This is why Gerdes, during his pre-drive pep talk last night, ran us through the items listed above, as well as how to use the paddle shifters to improve our fuel economy and a bunch of other tips.
For the record, the EPA says the three vehicles are capable of the following:
- 2014 A6 Quattro: 29 combined, 24 city and 38 highway
- 2014 A7 Quattro: 29 combined, 24 city and 38 highway (yes, the same as the A6)
- 2014 Q5: 27 combined, 24 city and 31 highway
Newest Audi TDI® Models Powering "Truth in 48" Challenge to Drive From L.A. to N.Y. in 48 Hours on Four Tanks of Clean Diesel Fuel
HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Sep 6, 2013) -
HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Sep 6, 2013) -
- Coast-to-coast attempt will be accomplished with the 2014 Audi A6 TDI and Audi A7 TDI and a 2014 Audi Q5 TDI crossover as the support vehicle
- Teams of eight noted hypermilers and four journalists to depart from Audi Pacific dealership at 9 a.m. PDT Saturday, Sept. 7
- Each TDI vehicle delivers up to 30% better fuel economy than gasoline engines
A team of 12 drivers will embark this weekend on "Truth in 48," a bid to drive 2,800-plus miles from the Los Angeles area to New York in 48 hours or less. The team will be driving the 2014 Audi A6 TDI and 2014 Audi A7 TDI sedans, with the 2014 Audi Q5 TDI as a support vehicle in a challenge to demonstrate the extended range and fuel economy provided by Audi clean diesel technology.
The rally, led by Wayne Gerdes of CleanMPG.com, will make only four refueling stops. They will depart from the Audi Pacific dealership in Torrance, CA the morning of the Saturday, Sept. 7, with plans to conclude the drive at the Audi Manhattan dealership the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 9.
Throughout the drive, the CleanMPG team will swap seats with members of the media, including Christian Moe of Road & Track, Damon Bell of Consumer Guide Automotive, Jill Ciminillo of Chicago Tribune and Sebastian Blanco of Autoblog Green.
Each Audi TDI clean diesel vehicle delivers up to 30% better fuel economy and 30% lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline engines, resulting in longer range and fewer trips to the fuel pump. By having more density than gasoline, diesel packs more energy in the same amount of fuel which helps maximize the miles per gallon. The 2014 Audi A6, A7 and Q5 TDI clean diesel engine vehicles adds to Audi's list of advanced technologies that help enhance fuel efficiency, including Audi ultra® lightweight technology, Audi quattro and Audi e-tron.
To follow along the "Truth in 48" cross-country drive challenge visit Audi's Twitter and Facebook pages utilizing the hashtag #audiTDI.
ABOUT WAYNES GERDES AND CLEANMPG
Wayne Gerdes launched the website, CleanMPG in February of 2006 in order to train drivers to achieve better fuel economy no matter what they own and drive. In addition, he keeps members and visitors alike abreast of the very latest in fuel efficient automobile technology and vehicles.
ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products, facilities and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
The rally, led by Wayne Gerdes of CleanMPG.com, will make only four refueling stops. They will depart from the Audi Pacific dealership in Torrance, CA the morning of the Saturday, Sept. 7, with plans to conclude the drive at the Audi Manhattan dealership the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 9.
Throughout the drive, the CleanMPG team will swap seats with members of the media, including Christian Moe of Road & Track, Damon Bell of Consumer Guide Automotive, Jill Ciminillo of Chicago Tribune and Sebastian Blanco of Autoblog Green.
Each Audi TDI clean diesel vehicle delivers up to 30% better fuel economy and 30% lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline engines, resulting in longer range and fewer trips to the fuel pump. By having more density than gasoline, diesel packs more energy in the same amount of fuel which helps maximize the miles per gallon. The 2014 Audi A6, A7 and Q5 TDI clean diesel engine vehicles adds to Audi's list of advanced technologies that help enhance fuel efficiency, including Audi ultra® lightweight technology, Audi quattro and Audi e-tron.
To follow along the "Truth in 48" cross-country drive challenge visit Audi's Twitter and Facebook pages utilizing the hashtag #audiTDI.
ABOUT WAYNES GERDES AND CLEANMPG
Wayne Gerdes launched the website, CleanMPG in February of 2006 in order to train drivers to achieve better fuel economy no matter what they own and drive. In addition, he keeps members and visitors alike abreast of the very latest in fuel efficient automobile technology and vehicles.
ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products, facilities and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
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