Shell Fuels 2008 Audi Mileage Marathon |
|
   |
Shell recently joined forces with Audi for a marathon fuel efficiency challenge, the 2008 Audi Mileage Marathon. Shell and Audi have collaborated on a number of projects over many years and this was yet another opportunity for the two brands to come together. In support of the all-new 2009 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI debut in the U.S., Audi launched the Audi Mileage Marathon, a two-week cross-country drive showcasing the latest in clean diesel technology. The drive covered more than 4,800 miles from New York to Los Angeles and consisted of 23 Audi diesel TDI vehicles (including the A3, A4, Q5 and Q7 models) driven by 184 drivers from 15 countries – all striving to achieve the best fuel economy! So what made this challenge unusual? All the cars were fueled with ultra-low-sulfur diesel from Shell-branded stations along the route. And, two vehicles fueled with Shell GTL, a synthetic fuel made from natural gas and one of the components of Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel, kicked off the marathon. How did the vehicles compare? With the streets and highways of America as its course, Audi proved that clean diesel fuel passes the real-world test. The Audi A3 TDI averaged 45 mpg, the Audi A4 vehicles averaged 36 mpg over the drive and the Audi Q5 TDI vehicles averaged 32 mpg. The Audi Q7 TDI SUVs, also clean diesel vehicles that will be the first TDIs available in the U.S. early next year, averaged 28 mpg over the entire drive, an excellent result for their class size. Although Shell has not yet launched a branded diesel in the U.S., Shell and others in the industry have invested nearly $8 billion to reduce sulfur levels and raise the standard for clean diesel in the U.S. These low-sulfur levels are essential to modern diesel engines. As the best-selling brand in the U.S., Shell supplies ultra-low sulfur diesel to 50 percent of Shell-branded stations, which is higher than the industry average of ultra-low sulfur diesel availability at about 35 percent of other branded gasoline stations. Shell recently introduced Shell V-Power Diesel in Canada, and test piloting in the U.S. is under consideration for 2009. For additional information on the Audi Mileage Marathon, visit www.audimileagemarathon.com, and for more details on the Shell and Audi relationship, click here. |