At a time when most of the world is focusing on electric vehicles, a team of Utah University students has built an extremely efficient fossil fuel vehicle capable of covering hundreds of kilometers on a single liter of ethanol, thanks to an ultralight, compact, and aerodynamic design.
Aptly named Supermileage, the innovative vehicle weighs only 49 kilograms (108 pounds), thanks to a lightweight carbon fiber body, and has a ridiculously tiny fuel tank of just 30 ml. Barely larger than a test tube, the fuel tank can only hold enough fuel for about 20 miles before it has to be refilled. Considering Supermileage was only created for race track testing and competitions, the high refill rate was never a big concern.
Supermileage was built to take part in the annual Shell Eco-Marathon, a competition in which participants try to cover the distance with the lowest possible fuel consumption. To achieve the incredible 2,150-mile/gallon range, the Brigham Young University eliminated all the modern features of conventional cars, stripping everything to the bone and even limiting the size and weight of the driver.
To be able to fit inside the only driver’s seat available in Supermileage, a person must be up to 163 cm (5.4 feet) tall and weigh up to 54 kg (119 lbs).
The developers calculated that it would take just 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of fuel to drive from Utah to New York. That’s impressive, but you should know that it would be a long, painful trip. Supermileage has a top speed of just 23 mph (37 km/h), not to mention that you would have to stop and somehow refill the tiny 30-ml tank every 20 miles or so.
It’s important to note that Supermileage is not designed as a production car. It’s just an experimental vehicle that proves that fossil-fuel vehicles can be quite efficient in extreme circumstances.
