HERNDON, Va. –  Two of the world’s most fuel efficient drivers, John and Helen Taylor, are a third of the way through their attempt to break the current world record for lowest fuel consumption across the 48 contiguous United States. Today they will be driving into their ninth day, passing through the northern states of the Great Plains, including South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana. To help them along the way, they are driving the all-new, 50-state-compliant clean diesel Volkswagen Jetta TDI, fueled by Shell’s best diesel fuel.“The vehicle seating is extremely comfortable and the power point in the car enables lots of work en route to be done while preserving power,” said Helen Taylor. “The car is efficiently driving its way to a fuel economy world record.”
The current Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption on a nationwide drive is 51.58 miles per gallon. As of end of day, Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Taylor’s have driven more than 2,753 miles through more than 24 states averaging about 58.78 US miles per gallon.

“It has been quite an adventure thus far, the world is getting smaller — on day four we met a girl originally from our small town in Australia now residing in Ohio!” said John Taylor. “We are optimistic we should be able to break the current world record if we stay on course and keep our fuel-efficient driving tips in mind.”

People are encouraged to e-mail the Taylors along the way at: fuelacademy@gmail.com with any questions they may have about the tour, the vehicle or about fuel economy tips and join their “Fan” page on Facebook.com. As of yesterday, 805 people have e-mailed the Taylors. The most common question asked was if the Taylors would do a fuel economy clinic for them.

Approximately 12 official check-in and refueling stops across the country are included throughout the duration of the drive, which is slated to conclude Sept. 26 in W. Va. The couple will drive on a counter-clockwise route and plan to pass through these cities: Chantilly, Va.; Rutland, V.T.; Toledo, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Spearfish, S.D.; Missoula, Mont.; Winnemucca, Nev.; Santa Monica, Calif.; Durango, Colo.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Mount Vernon, Ill.; Ponchatoula, La.; and, Beckley, W. Va.

Some of the Shell FuelStretch tactics the Taylors will employ on the road include: avoiding idling and higher speeds, minimizing vehicle drag and performing regular vehicle maintenance.

The Taylors have made a 26-year career out of driving economically and conducting workshops globally on fuel-efficient driving techniques. They have collected 82 world fuel economy and vehicle-related records from drives around the globe in Australia, Asia, South Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Via their Web site, the Taylors will be sharing their personal experiences on the road. For more information and regular reports from the road, visit www.fuelacademy.com and www.media.vw.com. For a complete list of fuel-saving driving tips, visit http://www.shell.com/us/fuelstretch.

Press release via Volkswagen