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19 Responses to “Sewanee Students Boost Fuel Efficiency of the Ford "Eco" Explorer”


  1. On August 11th, 2011 at 2:38 pm Mary Beth Said:

    Very cool project! Amazing work!


  2. On August 11th, 2011 at 6:02 pm MPGomatic Said:

    Great stuff, Rocco!

    I’ve had a project like this on the back burner for a couple of years now (still waiting for the right mule). With simple replacements during maintenance, folks can squeak a few more MPGs out of old paint. Low rolling resistance tires, lowering springs, synthetic fluids, some aerodynamic tweaks and OBD feedback devices (like the Scangauge) all add up.


  3. On August 12th, 2011 at 9:06 am Spike Hosch Said:

    Very true! Everything the club did on this car could have been completed in a weekend. Of course a lot of research went into materials, products, and execution, but once the tools started flying, it came together very quickly, very cheaply, and made a noticeable difference in MPGs.


  4. On August 12th, 2011 at 9:37 am MPGomatic Said:

    Rocco – The impact of this little idea has the potential to be huge. It could put people to work immediately. Check your inbox …


  5. On August 12th, 2011 at 7:13 pm Corky Coker Said:

    Great work! Clearly debunks old cars are dirty polluters. Hogwash says the smart young guys at Sewanee in Tennessee! So do I !!!!


  6. On August 16th, 2011 at 11:52 am Charlie Foss Said:

    Y’all could make some money for your club by doing such creative retrofits on clunkers and reselling them. I sure hope somebody took a toothbrush and went after the mildew that was so noticeable in the opening frames around the name of the vehicle. Good for all of you!


  7. On August 16th, 2011 at 2:59 pm Spike Hosch Said:

    Ha ha! Yep. We did detail the car after the conversion and the mildew came off nicely. Made for a good before and after shot.


  8. On August 16th, 2011 at 8:18 pm Tim MacDonald Said:

    Awesome. I drive a 2001 4Runner, my first vehicle ever at the age of 32, and I figure driving smart and driving less combined with saving this “clunker” from the scrap heap is far more environmentally friendly than buying new.

    I can’t put those mods on though because I only own a Runner to serve me on small scoots around town and on dirt roads driving to explore the countryside (I never blaze trails, tsk, tsk, just use inhabited roads and logging roads).


  9. On August 20th, 2011 at 5:37 pm Spike Hosch Said:

    The 2001 4Runner was a great car and actually quite aerodynamic (on top). Like all SUVs, the greatest challenge is the underbelly. With our project we left 6″ of clearance all the way around (for curbs, speed bumps, and gravel roads). I’ve been surprised at how little clearance we actually need for some of the terrain we’ve used the car on recently.


  10. On October 9th, 2011 at 9:50 pm Nathan Said:

    The thing is, reading over the blog, you blew way over a grand to pick up what – 5, 7mpg? How is that a useful thing for anyone not bankrolled by a University desperate to portray itself as ‘Green’?


  11. On October 10th, 2011 at 9:53 am Charlie Rybak Said:

    Hey Nathan,

    We actually wrote about this exact idea on this blog. While the money may seem like a lot up front, it actually pays for itself in under two years when you factor in all of the money that you spend on gas. Check it out:
    http://planetforward.org/2011/08/25/is_upgrading_an_old_suv_more_cost_effective_than_buying_a_prius/


  12. On October 10th, 2011 at 10:53 am Spike Hosch Said:

    Hey Nathan,

    Another consideration is that $600 of the total spent went toward low rolling resistance tires, but $400-$500 is an inherent cost (that you’d have to spend anyway) when getting new tires.

    Also some $200 was spent on the Scangauge computer, which is obviously unnecessary.


  13. On December 5th, 2011 at 5:59 pm Thalia Assuras Said:

    “Low cost” is the key here. Consumers will convert to eco-lifestyles and, in this case, eco-driving if they can save money. For anyone wanting to expand the life of their clunker, this is a useful option, if the auto owner can recover their investment in retrofits within a short-term time frame.


  14. On December 11th, 2011 at 12:37 pm Pamela Adan Said:

    Never heard of low rolling tires? and more info avail?


  15. On December 11th, 2011 at 12:38 pm Pamela Adan Said:

    Never heard of low rolling tires? Any info available.


  16. On December 16th, 2011 at 5:38 pm Christophe Tulou Said:

    Another good way that many people can become personally invested in efficiency/greenhouse gas emission reduction. It’s cheap, thus scalable. And the universe of older cars is at historic highs. Obviously, we’ll get greater impact by quickly increasing new vehicle efficiencies and moving to non-fossil-fuel vehicles ASAP, but this is a great interim step.


  17. On December 16th, 2011 at 5:46 pm Michael Cowden Said:

    Great taking simple fixes and showing how they can make a difference. Simple changes in design can go far.


  18. On January 6th, 2012 at 12:28 am RAJ T Said:

    Hi there, great job, everyone! I hope this catches on more…btw, any tips for an 2010-ish Xterra? :)
    Instead of setting up a business to retrofit, you could sell this info – the school, your accomplishments would make you credible…just a thought :)


  19. On January 18th, 2012 at 5:28 pm Spike Hosch Said:

    Pamela Adan,

    A search with “low rolling resistance tires” will come up with a ton of information that can be far more informative than I can be here. We used a local auto shop, but any tire place should have or be able to order low rolling resistance tires. Basically they use rubber compounds that create less friction with the road, so they maintain their motion better (and thus require less gas to keep them moving or to overcome the initial inertia of a stopped car). The benefit is usually somewhere between 1 and 2 MPG of savings — so it’s only worth while opting for these if you need new tires anyway. Keeping your tires inflated to the amount suggested on the tire also helps minimize rolling resistance.

    Christopher Tulou,

    Definitely! I recall reading recently that the average age of cars on the roads is at a record high. This certainly isn’t a magic bullet, but a few of these steps can maybe lessen the toll on the environment by cars to which some may want to hold on for a bit longer. And maybe save them some pennies.

    Michael Cowden and everyone, thank you for the words of encouragement and for continuing to comment here and suggesting ideas. It means a lot to us.

    Raj T,

    It depends on the individual vehicle. Most of the techniques we used here could be directly applicable to different vehicles, but keep in mind that our advice isn’t professional advice. I would start by researching how to lower your particular vehicle, researching types of tires, and researching possible aerodynamic modifications (whether actual body parts for a Nissan or just makeshift side panels / front aero like we did). A lot of the things we did here you might not want to do on a newer car (bolt on the side panels and front splitter, for instance), but lowering a car and using different tires can make some difference.

    If you really want to figure out some things you can do, try researching on Xterra forums, talking to friends who are mechanics, or to acquaintances who work at auto shops. Keep in mind that AWD is less gas-efficient (if your Xterra is AWD).

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