Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes Trying For 1,000 Miles On One Tank Of Fuel

HOUSTON, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayne Gerdes, a multiple World Record holder for the most fuel-efficient driving, set out to put his fuel efficiency skills and Shell Smarter Driving tips to the test when he hit the road Monday with one tank of fuel in an SUV. To raise awareness for everyday smarter driving, Gerdes is attempting to travel more than 1,000 miles from Chicago, IL to Austin, Tex. with a single tank of fuel and a roadmap.  

Average new car fuel economy is currently estimated at 24.6 mpg¹, which means an average 1,000 mile drive would consume a little more than two full tanks of fuel in the average vehicle². If driving without a fill up was not a big enough challenge, Gerdes is adding another layer of complexity. He is driving an SUV, which traditionally gets lower miles-per-gallon than small- to mid-sized cars due to vehicle size³. Using Shell Smarter Driving tips, Gerdes wants to show how everyday people can stretch their fuel and budget no matter what they drive.

"It's not difficult to improve your fuel efficiency, and it can have a big impact," said Gerdes, "If we all focus a little more on fuel-conscious driving we could collectively help decrease U.S. fuel consumption, and individually see less of a drain on our bank accounts. All it takes is a little planning ahead and using responsible driving habits."

Fuel efficiency can depend on many factors, including some that are outside of your control, like weather conditions, types of roads you drive on and traffic patterns. However, there are steps that can be taken to maximize each tank of fuel. Gerdes is taking personal action to M.A.P. his cross-country challenge following tips from the Smarter Driving program developed by Shell, which  includes:

• Maintenance: Performing smart vehicle maintenance before you drive.
• Actions: Practicing smart behaviors and actions while you're behind the wheel.
• Products: Purchasing smart products and services at the right price without sacrificing quality.

These tips give drivers a roadmap to help get the most out of their fuel purchases, and Gerdes is passionate about spreading awareness to everyday drivers about the ease and importance of fuel efficiency.  

Here are the top 10 Smarter Driving tips that Gerdes recommends all drivers take advantage of:

1. Keep your engine well tuned and repair any problems immediately³. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 4%.
2. Make sure tires are not over or under-inflated³. Proper air pressure cuts down on fuel used while driving. Keeping tires at the correct pressure can improve your gasoline mileage by up to 3%.
3. Minimize vehicle drag³. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your gasoline mileage by up to 2%.
4. Drive Smoothly³. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gasoline mileage by 5% at lower speeds around town and by 33% at highway speeds.
5. Use cruise control on major roads and in free flowing traffic³. Maintaining a constant speed can improve gasoline mileage. Just be careful not to use cruise control on wet roads or when it's raining due to hydroplaning potential.
6. Avoid Idling³. When you idle, you get zero miles per gallon.
7. Avoid higher speeds³. Gasoline mileage usually decreases by a significant amount for every 5 miles per hour over the speed limit
8. Plan your outings to avoid separate trips. Combine your errands into one outing to avoid short separate trips. This helps avoid unnecessary cold starts and keeps your car's engine running warm and more efficiently. Drive to the furthest errand location first as it keeps your car's engine warmer for a longer portion of your trip coming back which improves fuel economy.
9. Choose a high-quality fuel. Lower quality fuels can leave harmful carbon deposits or "gunk," which can build up on intake valves and fuel injectors. This build-up can negatively impact engine performance, vehicle responsiveness and reduce fuel flow, which can lead to reduced fuel economy.
10. Use the recommended grade of oil in your engine³. Following your manufacturer's recommended motor oil grade in a high quality synthetic blend can improve gasoline mileage by up to 2%.

Although Gerdes will only fuel up at the start of his trip, he is scheduled to make rest stops in St. Louis, MO and Dallas,TX on his way to Austin for Austin Fan Fest fueled by Shell weekend. He is documenting his journey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wayne.gerdes and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CleanMPG. Drivers can also check out more tips for smarter driving at www.shell.us/smarterdriving.  

About Shell
Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, with a network of approximately 6,000 Shell-branded gasoline stations in the western United States. Another 8,300 Shell-branded stations in the eastern and southern regions are managed by Motiva Enterprises LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between Shell Oil Company and Saudi Refining, Inc.

Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with 93,000 employees in more than 90 countries. [(NYSE:RDS.A) and (NYSE:RDS.B)]

Cautionary Note
The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release "Shell", "Shell group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this press release refer to companies over which Royal Dutch Shell plc  either directly or indirectly has control. Companies over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to "joint ventures" and companies over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". In this press release, joint ventures and associates may also be referred to as "equity-accounted investments". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect (for example, through our 23% shareholding in Woodside Petroleum Ltd.) ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov ). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward looking statements contained in this press release and should be considered by the reader.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, November 11, 2013. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this press release that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC.  U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

SOURCE Shell Oil Company

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