 Click here to see a full-sized view of the Mitsubishi truck used in this test.
The Goal
"We set a target of 38 tonnes in 39 hours using less than 40 litres of fuel per 100 km," Mitsubishi Heavy Commercial manager Roger White said. "The 40 litre target was an arbitrary goal based loosely around seven miles per gallon."
The Results
The final result was 44.09 litres per 100 km which we are more than satisfied with because we know it is absolutely genuine. That figure is based on a run of 2099 km fully laden which gives a miles per gallon figure of just under 6.4."
But on the run from Auckland to Wellington and from Picton to Christchurch 6.6 miles per gallon were achieved. Total fuel from Auckland to Wellington was 279.83 litres.
"It's a target for other truck manufacturers to attempt to equal or better," said Roger.
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The Figures Don't Lie...
If you operate a tractor and semi-trailer could you get from Auckland to Wellington with a 20 tonne payload and use just under 280 litres of diesel? With the help of R 'n' J Aerofoils, it happened.
The run provided an independent test of the Mitsubishi FV 395. The first 30 kilometres from the Cape were undulating dirt road so corrugated the driver Phil Woolston had to use low gear and diff lock to get up some of the hills before they reached the tar seal.
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The Mitsubishi TransNational Challenge proved it was possible
Using a Mitsubishi FV395 as the 38.4 tonne gvm rig, the trip was from Cape Reinga to the Bluff mid February 1998.
The tractor unit had just 11,800 kilometres on the clock when the rig left the Cape so the engine was still fairly tight. Earlier in the day 20.4 tonnes of unsalted butter had been loaded into the 86 cu metre semi trailer in Whangarei..
The Challenge was established to prove the performance of the 390 hp engine with its electronic management system.
In addition, an aerofoil manufactured by R'n'J Aerofoils was fitted to the cab roof to reduce fuel consumption by creating a smooth air flow across the cab top and trailer.
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NZ Trucking Magazine
Editor Jon Addison rode the rig the whole way and oversaw all the refueling, took accurate mileages and times and ensured driving hours and speed laws were observed.
Real World Answers
"This was a real commercial load which normally travels by rail bound for the Quality Bakers' croissant factory in Invercargill. But we probably got it there faster than they would!" said Mitsubishi Heavy Commercial manager Roger White.
The truck is owned by TransOtway who are the principle carriers for
McDonalds Restaurants.
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