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One-Tank Rocky Mountain Hockey Challenge: the inside story
April 7, 2009. The Western car won by a margin of a half litre of diesel! The total distance driven: 1075 km. Fuel consumed: 53.3 L. Average consumption: 4.9 L/100km or about 56 mpg! (Imperial gallons)
A few weeks back I was invited by a few VW dealers to participate in what they were calling the “One Tank Rocky Mountain Hockey Challenge.” The plan was to drive two 2009 Jetta Clean Diesels from Calgary to Vancouver with the winner determined on arrival in Vancouver when the cars were refilled with fuel. The idea for this “road trip” came from the original Habs Trek Mike Velemirovich completed from Halifax to Montreal in last November.
See the video of the trip right here.
With two cars available for the trip, I asked if there would be room for two more. When I got the green light I called James Tansey, President of Offsetters. James jumped at the opportunity to test the claimed efficiency of the VW and to act as a witness (and referee) for an honest drive. I then called a videographer and asked if he would record the drive in pictures and video.
The three dealers involved were: Mike Velemirovich, Hillcrest VW in Halifax (Habs fan), Jerry Sturko, Fifth Avenue Autohaus in Calgary (Flames fan), and
Jim Tompkins, Cowell VW in Richmond BC (Canucks fan).
At 5:00 am Calgary time the six of us, plus luggage and camera gear, piled into two Jetta TDIs fuelled with 55 litres of B5 warranty-approved biodiesel. One car was driven by the “western team” and the other by the Habs fan, Mike. The planned route was Highway 1, the Trans Canada from Calgary through the Rockies into Kamloops. From there we planned to take the Coquihalla Hwy (#5) down to Hope and then into the lower mainland and Vancouver.
The drive to Kamloops covered 610 km of up and down mountain passes, across high plains, avalanches, road debris and twisting corners. When the onboard computers were checked for distance remaining on the fuel available, the Western car displayed a 40 km advantage. Mike was not a happy camper (on his Habs drive he averaged 4.83 L/100 km, however, he was the only passenger). Both cars showed over 400 km remaining in the tank.
From Kamloops, the “easy” route into Vancouver via the Coquihalla Hwy is 355 km. There is an alternative route from Kamloops to Vancouver which takes you over the Coast Mountains, into Pemberton (the locals refer to this as the Duffy Lake Road) and down through Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. This is an extremely challenging drive; narrow, steep passes, gravel, 20 km/h twists, steep inclines and one-lane wooden bridges. The distance to Vancouver on this route is 410 km.
A decision was made in Kamloops to “turn right” and take the road over the Coast Range and through Whistler. There was now the distinct possibility the cars would not make it into Vancouver on the original fill of biodiesel.
If you have the time and the nerve to attempt this route I highly recommend it. It was the most spectacular section of the entire drive from Calgary. It is tough on the car and driver, but an absolute pleasure, and at times a nerve-racking experience for passengers.
From Whistler, the distance to Vancouver is 120 km. The cars were checked again for fuel remaining with the Western vehicle showing 190 km available on the display and the “Habs” car at 140. Again, Mike was not pleased. After a total distance driven of about 950 km he was losing to the Western challengers.
In Horseshoe Bay, 20 km from Vancouver, Mike’s car displayed 40 km of available fuel … things were not looking good. The Western car displayed 110 km. The total distance traveled was now over 1000 km.
We crossed the Lions Gate Bridge into Vancouver at 7:20 pm. The Flames and Canucks game had started at 7:05 pm and was now playing on 1040 AM radio inside the Jettas! We were 10 minutes from GM Place. Total distance: 1065 km.
We pulled into a filling station and checked the onboard display for the last time. The Western car was showing 60 km of fuel remaining while the “Habs” car was at 20 km! It was time to refill the tanks and determine the winner.
Western Jetta fuel fill-up: 53.3L
Habs Jetta fuel fill-up: 54.1L
The Western car driven by Jim Tompkins and Jerry Sturko defeated the Habs eco champ by a total of 0.8 litres of diesel over a total driving distance of 1075 km.
It was time for Mike to buy the pops!
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