Helen and John Taylor broke their own "48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record" with an average of 67.9 miles per gallon! Key to the Taylor's success is both their choice of automobile – a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the 2009 Green Car of the Year – and their specially-designed Goodyear Fuel Max tires. The Taylors suggest that the tires were one of the main ingredients that allowed them to better their previous record of 58 mpg. The husband and wife's previous record of just over 58 mpg was also recorded in the same 2009 Jetta; the only difference being the Fuel Max tires. Both attempts took three weeks and more than 9,000 miles following a counter-clockwise route that included scheduled stops in Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana and West Virginia. Some of the fuel-maximizing tactics the Taylors employed on the road included actions such as avoiding idling and higher speeds, minimizing vehicle drag and performing regular vehicle maintenance.
Said Helen Taylor, "We hope our record-breaking journey helps educate the driving public that decisions, such as choosing the right tires, using the right fuel and adopting fuel-saving driving techniques, can help anyone save money and fuel, and reduce carbon emissions."
The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire features a proprietary fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls, so less gas is required to keep the tire rolling. The 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy delivered by the new Fuel Max tires means, in essence, drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of 4 tires.
Volkswagen’s 2009 Jetta TDI became the first-ever clean diesel to win Green Car of the Year, besting two hybrids, a gasoline microcar, and a clean diesel sports sedan.
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