From Sky Blues to green miles

A break in the clouds to reveal blue skies over the city of the ‘Sky Blues’ proved a good omen for 37 ‘green’ drivers taking part in the 2009 ALD Automotive/Total ECO 10 MPG Marathon this week - with the winning vehicle achieving almost 100 miles per gallon.

The eclectic mix of vehicles and drivers that included a police patrol vehicle, a 17-year-old boy yet to pass his test and a horse-box drawn by a 4x4 Subaru Forrester completed the 360 miles two-day challenge around the Midlands to prove that skilful eco-driving can increase safety, dramatically reduce fuel costs and the CO2 emissions produced by Britain's 30 million motorists.

With ringing Ministerial and opposition party endorsements, the drivers and their navigators who took part in the 7th MPG Marathon put the manufacturers’ own estimates of fuel consumption to the test – and won.

A total of 21 manufacturers agreed to publicly have a variety of their hatchbacks, 4x4s, saloons and commercial vehicles put through their paces by automotive journalists, 'green' organisations and motoring safety bodies, including the AA, over a gruelling course that included Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, the Cotswolds, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

Four vehicles secured more than 80 miles per gallon, but overall winning position went to the SMART Fortwo Coupe CDI Passion driven by Mick Linford and Jemma Bellingham which achieved a staggering 96.81 mpg.

Second place went to two-times previous winners James Sutherland and Richard Hill in the Toyota Yaris TR Diesel, which achieved 86.18 mpg, an impressive 25.09 percent improvement on the manufacturer’s combined figure.

The MPG Marathon also sought out the drivers most capable of improving on the fuel consumption figures claimed by the manufacturer.

In this category, the Mazda 3 2.3 MPS with a manufacturer’s combined mpg of 29.1, managed to achieve 41.75 mpg, an improvement of 43.48 per cent. Driver and navigatorIain Robertson and Robert Marshall proved that even so-called ‘gas guzzlers’ can be driven more economically.

The youngest driver was 17-year-old Joe Durkin, who has yet to pass his test. With his navigator Craig Cheetham, an advanced driver trainer from Vauxhall, Joe, the son of the organiser Ross Durkin, squeezed 59.71 mpg out of the Chevrolet Aveo 1.2s, an improvement of 16.17 per cent. Another entry of note was the Audi 3.0 TDI driven and navigated by Devon and Cornwall police officers Malcolm Curnow and Chris Crebo who achieved fuel; consumption of 43.78 against the manufacturers’ figure of 42.2 mpg, an improvement of 3.75 per cent. This was significant because the force is attempting to cut its £2.6 million annual fuel bill. With a fleet of 1200 vehicles, officers drive an amazing 25 million miles per year.

Steve Johnson and Paul Skelton in the Subaru Forester towing a horse box – a normal drain on a vehicle’s fuel - also managed a good MPG result – achieving 37.1 against the manufacturer’s combined figure of 44.10 which was only minus 15.86 per cent despite its heavy load.

Van-tastic results

Vans, or light commercial vehicles (LCV) were not to be outdone and proved what could be achieved if driven more thoughtfully. The LCV entries were also measured percentage improvement.

Commercial vehicle drivers in the ALD/TOTAL ECO 10 MPG Marathon clearly demonstrated the potential for fuel savings that can be achieved through skilful eco-driving.

Nine commercial vehicles took part in the event that included urban centre driving, motorways and country A and B roads and presented competitors with the sternest possible test of their driving skills.

The overall winner of best percentage improvement for vans was the Vauxhall Vivaro 2.0 CTDI driven by Andrew Duerden and James Smith who achieved 55.25 mpg, a remarkable 60.60 per cent improvement .The victory sets a new benchmark by which other vans’ productivity will be measured. Another entry of note was the VW Caddy EcoFuel driven by Doug Powell and Trevor Holland which was run on landfill biogas produced by Gasrec, a first-time entry into the event and winner of the competition’s TomTom WORK Safety Award.

Supported by Transport Ministers Lord Adonis and Sadiq Khan as well as leader of the Opposition David Cameron, the objective of the MPG Marathon was to promote eco driving for all motorists to save lives, money and reduce a motorist’s overall carbon footprint. The Government last year also changed the company car tax regime to reward vehicles with a sub -120 CO2 grams per kilometre rating.

This is becoming increasingly important in the commercial world where businesses run large fleets of company cars and vans. Here reducing costs, wear and tear on the vehicles and improving fuel efficiency add to the business bottom line as well as helping fleet managers meet their health and safety obligations. In the future, the growing importance of telematics will add to this mix to help control overall business costs.

RoadSafe, the UK’s leading Forum for promoting road safety and reducing deaths and injuries on the roads joined forces with the 2009 MPG Marathon team to promote the Safer Driving for Better Business message.

The event highlighted the increased significance of eco-driving and how it will importantly deliver business value for money and play a leading role in reducing CO2 as climate change leads to behaviour change.

ALD Automotive marketing director, David Yates, said: “We are seemingly coming out of a terrible recession so it is more important than ever to drive better behaviour behind the wheel to deliver safety and value. After vehicle depreciation, fuel bills are the biggest cost facing every fleet manager. Cutting fuel bills is not only financially beneficial to business but also reduces risk and emissions.”

Event organiser, Ross Durkin adds: “There was a time when being sent to Coventry was seen as a negative, but we chose the City because of its automotive heritage and unique mix of roads and driving conditions. The results that have come out today proved that the City of the Blue Skies can show the way for business, drivers and the environment. It’s not what you drive, but how you drive that makes the difference and once again the combined efforts of all the participants and sponsors delivered a first class, educational event.