Weather plays a part in EnergyWise results

Weather plays a part in EnergyWise results

The thirty-seven competing cars in the EnergyWise Rally had to work hard to overcome a strong southerly wind combined with intermittent hail showers on the Desert Road section of today’s Rotorua to Palmerston North leg. Some of the drivers commented that they could feel their fuel consumption going backwards as they headed into the wind up the long hills from Turangi.

MP Paul Adams is revelling in the tough conditions. His Kia Rio currently leads its class with a consumption figure of just 5.52 l/100km (51.2 mpg).

Particularly impressive figures were returned by competitors in the up to 1400cc class where the Honda Jazz CVT of Paul Berridge achieved a consumption figure of 4.72 l/100km (59.9 mpg), followed by Jacqui Madelin’s Toyota Echo on 5.11 l/100km (55.3 mpg).

There is an intense battle for supremacy in the small/medium hatch class where the Honda Civic of Graham Price and the Toyota Corolla of Rob Lester could only be separated by taking the consumption figures to the third decimal point.

Overall leader for the Environment Award is currently Donn Anderson in the Peugeot 406 HDi, followed by Sandy Myhre in a Citroën Xsara Picasso. This award takes into account the fuel consumption, the carbon dioxide emissions and the physical size of the car.

Interim progress results and event photos can be seen at http://www.energywiserally.org.nz.

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