We all have our weak spots when it comes to cars: some like to drive them to the limit, some take pleasure in cruising relaxingly along the highway, while others are obsessed with consuming as little fuel as possible. The king of the latter category is no doubt Austrian Gerhard Plattner, who has set a long series of economy records, especially in diesel-powered cars.
His last record, however, has been set with a car that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG), the Skoda Citigo CNG. Plattner managed to drive 2,619 kilometers (1,628 miles) paying less than €100 ($132) for fuel. The little Skoda averaged 2.39 kg of natural gas per 100 km, despite the fact that its official average fuel consumption is rated at 2.9 kg/100 km (or 4.4 cubic meters/100 km).
“I am very excited about this record; it’s a testament to the efficiency of the CNG engine in the Skoda Citigo. Despite the unexpected price increases for natural gas in Italy and Sweden, I managed it on this small budget and even have 18,76 euros left,” said Plattner.
Of course, he didn’t disclose any of his fuel-saving techniques, but the Citigo’s standard features such as the start-stop system, recuperation through brake energy regeneration and low rolling-resistance tyres must have helped, as did the car’s weight of only 1,031 kg (2,273 lbs).
Over the course of five days, Plattner drove 2,619 km (1,627 miles) from Vicenza, Italy, to Stockholm, Sweden, averaging CO2 emissions of only 65 g/km, well below the car’s official rating of 79 g/km. The Skoda Citigo CNG is powered by a 67hp (68PS) 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine that can run both on gasoline and compressed natural gas.
By Dan Mihalascu
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