I don’t know what you would do if one half of the “world’s most fuel efficient couple” complimented you on your smooth, efficient driving style and asked if you might be available to take the wheel on a leg of some as yet unplanned eco drive, but I blushed.
Of course, my first thought was that John Taylor, an Australian who, along with his wife Helen, have set 43 world driving records for fuel economy, was just being a bit of a charmer, buttering up the local journalist for a better story. But, then, he effusively repeated his compliments in front of others — so he had to be sincere, right? Besides, I really was quite smooth.
The Taylors, who educate people all over the world on how to save money and fuel, and reduce CO2 emissions by driving smarter and more safely, were in Toronto Oct. 28 as part of the Smarter Driver Challenge, which in turn is part of Canadian Geographic and Shell Canada’s Energy Diet Challenge, a contest, according to the press information, “designed to engage Canadians in using resources more efficiently in their homes and on the road.”
Each competitor drove a 2012 Toyota Camry with one of the Taylors in the passenger seat. In the first instance, the Taylors evaluated how efficiently the competitor drives without any training. After getting some tips, the competitors were measured on how they improved their fuel efficiency through the application of the tips.
I, too, would come under his scrutiny. Choosing a 2012 Toyota Camry and a 15-minute downtown Toronto route for the evaluation, Taylor stresses that starting off “nice and relaxed and calm” is key to any drive. This means making sure your seat is the right distance so you can be comfortable driving and adjusting all your mirrors for proper visibility — before you start the car.
After complimenting me on my smooth takeoffs, Taylor explained how he got started in the business of breaking world records.
“Thirty years ago, there was a request on television to do a world record drive around the U.K.,” he says. “So, I applied. I did the drive two days later and created the first world record drive around Britain for fuel efficiency. The car [driven] was a Ford. Ford contacted me afterward and said, ‘Do you realize you’ve achieved the best ever [ fuel economy] figures in history? We’re just bringing out a new diesel. We’d like you to drive for us this year.’ And, in one year, we went out and broke nine world records.”
The continuation of world record drives, he adds, meant that other automakers as well as tire manufacturers and fuel companies began to approach them, using them for marketing purposes.
