Mitsubishi’s electric car tops Eco-Run
Looking like it will be an annual event, the second EcoRun was staged by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), earlier this month.
An entry list of the newest and most advanced electric or best fuel-sipping vehicles available totalled 22; only seven were returnees from last year’s event. The Eco-Run is not a frantic race against the clock to see who finishes first, and conversely it’s not a slowpaced hyper-miler exercise.
While the participants are expected to practise good fuel-conservation driving techniques, they are also expected to keep up with traffic flow and get to check points within a reasonable time period. The intention is to highlight environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicle choices, promote fuel-efficient driving techniques and collect some real-world fuel-efficiency data along the way.
Last year’s inaugural EcoRun went from Brighton to London, in Ontario. This year, the start was in Ottawa, at the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) head office on Booth Street, and the final stop on the tour was in Montreal, at the Polytechnique, three days later.
In a Day 1 address to participants and assembled media, Natural Resources Canada Minister Joe Oliver talked about green innovations in the automotive industry and highlighted the impact that driving behaviour can have on vehicle fuel efficiency.
“You likely wouldn’t drive as gingerly every day as how we did over these three days, but even incorporating some of these principles can save you a lot of money in whatever you drive,” said Canadian automotive journalist Michael Bettencourt. He was the final recipient of the coveted “Green Jersey,” an honour bestowed on the most fuel-efficient Ecorun driver.
“It was fascinating to see how the vehicle’s observed fuel economy stacked up to official Canadian government fuel economy ratings,” added Bettencourt, who, along with his wife, owns an all-electric Nissan Leaf.
“With super-careful driving, most were achievable, but the hybrids had the toughest time, even in these near ideal conditions.”
Not surprisingly, all three pure electric cars — the Mitsubishi I-MiEV, the Smart fortwo Electric and the Ford Focus Electric — were clearly tops in terms of driving efficiency. Using the NRCan comparison formula, one Le (litre/electrical) contains the consumption equivalent of 8.9 kWh of electrical energy.
Confirming its position as most energy-efficient car sold in Canada, the 2013 I-MiEV recorded the lowest energy usage at this year’s Eco-Run. This little four-door hatchback can seat four occupants and has a starting price of $33,998. The I-MiEV produces zero tailpipe emissions and claims a driving range of up to 155 kilometres on a single electrical charge.
Plug-in hybrids filled the next three positions, with the top fuel-sippers being the Chevrolet Volt, the Ford Fusion Energi and the Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid. All of these vehicles can run solely on electrical power for considerable distances, yet offer the backup security of a hybrid powertrain to extend driving range.
Winner of numerous awards, the Volt outsold all other EVs and plug-ins in Canada combined, last year. This fivedoor, four-passenger car has a pure electric driving range of up to 63 kilometres and its battery pack can be completely recharged in less than four hours.
Topping the hybrid entries this year was the all-new Volkswagen Jetta Turbocharged Hybrid. A 150-horsepower turbocharged engine with an electric motor is mated to a sevenspeed transmission. Superior performance combined with excellent fuel efficiency is what makes this car special.
One gasoline-engined car made my unofficial Eco-Run top-10 list of miserly fuel-users and it finished ahead of a number of hybrids and diesel-engined entries. The economical 2013 Mazda3 Skyactiv is a compact car that comes with an advanced gas engine and other technologies. And its high-compression engine is able to run on regular gasoline.
It may have finished deadlast in this field of green, but the 2013 Ram 1500 HFE (High Fuel Efficiency) still did exceptionally well, considering it’s a full-sized pickup truck — with a gasoline engine! A stop-start system, air suspension and an eight-speed transmission, plus best-in-class aerodynamics helps it achieve high fuelefficiency goals.
For a complete list of vehicles entered, fuel economy results and more details about this year’s Eco-Run, visit ajac.ca/ eco-run.
The Canadian Automobile Association was also a sponsor of the 2013 Eco-Run and has articles about the event on its website.