Honda is driving for the new world record

Honda has decided to prove its leadership by trying for a Guinness book record. The record that it is planning to set is of the fuel efficiency, titled as “Lowest Fuel Consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries”.  This involves driving on 13,600 Km of drive through various countries of EU. The car will start from Aalst, then move through Belgium and will return back to Aalst after covering the 24 countries of the EU.

The drive for the same has already started on 1 June, 2015 by two R & D employees of the company. The car that is being used for the test is Honda Civic Tourer with its 1.6 Liter i-DTEC engine. Officials at Honda informed that the i-DTEC engine of Civic Tourer has been tested at different tests, and all tests point out the fact that the car’s engine outperforms its declared ability in the real world driving condition. This challenge will help in setting new records for thefuel efficiency based on 25 days of constant driving. The record will measures the efficiency in liters of fuel used per 100km and miles covered per gallon calculated over the entire journey. If successful, this record will be applicable for all variants of cars, including hybrid and electric models as well.

But there are rules that Honda people need to follow in order to recognize the record. For the record to be recognized, each kilometer of the record should be covered by the same two drivers. This essentially means that the two drivers have to be behind the wheel for around 170 hours, clocking around 7.5 hours a day. Moreover, the further requirement for the record says that the car should be a model with no special changes that will give it an unfair advantage. This had been verified by independent witness at the start of the challenge. The third rule is that car should travel only by road, and that is the reason there are only 24 countries in the circuit, excluding the four countries of UK, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland. Also, the tank of the car is to be filled to maximum capacity at every fuel stop. This will ensure that the car does not get any advantage because of reducing weight.

The car is also supposed to record its entry in all the countries and the details of the route etc. to prove their claim. The evidence used for the same will include a fuel logbook, GPS readings, video, photographs and independent witness signatures. The car is fitted with a tracking device to monitor the route, time of the journey and distance in real time.

As per the company’s spokesperson, a lot of planning has gone before the drive. From stocking the car to fitting it with the tracking device, the company has tried to succeed in all parameters. The process might be difficult but if Honda succeeds in this journey, there is a chance that the Civic Tourer with its 1.6 i–DTEC engine will be recorded as the world’s most fuel-efficient car, until someone else decide to defeat it.