Land-Hi-lux-Jagu-Panamera-Kia does 800 miles on a tank... so Ner-Ner

This week I went to an old stomping ground of mine I've not been too for 3 of 4 years. Silverstone Race Track. It was wet, cold, and generally miserable...as per usual when I go there. I was actually test driving some of the latest cars from top companies around the demanding short circuit. But what cars was I let loose with? Porsche? Ferrari's? Aston Martins? Nope...sorry to disappoint the 'bedroom poster' brigade, I was driving the latest offerings in EV's, Hybrids, multi fuels etc. The Car industry is awash with them, from full Electric in the Nissan Leaf, through to Peugeot/Citroen's 200BHP shared platform diesel electric. (I prefer the Pug, but then I have a soft spot for them)
It was a exhibition focused towards the biggest purchaser group of cars in the UK, the Fleet vehicle market, and I have to say, I'm be happy to sell 'carpets' or 'non essential luxury items' up and down the M1 all day  in a Peugeot 508 hybrid....

So is the word going EV hybrid...in an word 'Yes'. the car companies have got it right now, the technology is robust, and it makes real world sense now to have this technology.
The cost of fuel is huge for the average vehicle user, I'll demonstrate, I filled my car yesterday and it was particularly thirsty. £105 to the neck!! blimey!

So thrashing these cars around a track what has that done for me....we apart from being impressed at ride, quality and performance it's made me think about my own driving more. When you drive a GM Ampera for example, with a list of 245Mpg and it's quick enough, comfortable enough and stylish enough to think "I could see that on a drive". and have a bit of pride, you notice your consumption of the elixir of right footedness is horrendous... I drove back at 60 to 65Mph, slow accelerations at roundabouts and junctions, and long cruises with foot off to them! and I got....wait for it... 500 miles of motoring out of my £105 quid!! Now some people will be staggering around saying...

"We'll that's nothing, my Land-Hi-lux-Jagu-Panamera-Kia does 800 miles on a tank... so Ner-ner!!"

and I say to you, I normally get 300 miles, and the over optimistic trip computer always starts with 500 miles after a fill up..some where between forecourt and forecourt I loose 200 miles! but not so Yesterday! I did it! 500 miles from the tank!!! and the enthusiastic trip is now suggesting that I have a range of 650 miles...blimey!  I'm actually not fussed because of the cost really, it's a sting but it lasts 3 minutes. But I'm doing this to see if I can get some driving enjoyment still by being frugal, it's a game, it's hard, I like it...you should try it...!!

You can catch more of my daily exploits on twitter.com/DrHindmarsh and my online paper http://paper.li/DrHindmarsh