Tree Planting

The Event Director reports that they've just planted a tree in Alice Springs for Greenfleet.

Greenfleet: It's a technology trial not a race.

The Greenfleet event is not a competition but provides an opportunity for manufacturers and others such as vehicle financing companies to show case their fuel efficient products. Even so, its interesting to watch the teams hang around the fuel pump as their perceived competition fills up. I noticed one team?a glint of delight when they realized that the team after them had used more fuel during the day, but their delight quickly faded when we reminded them that the second team had done a side trip to the Mattaranka Springs so litre for litre comparison did not makes sense. The fun continues.

Most of the teams are driving the cars to maximize fuel efficiency. This means they are traveling at between 70 -90 km per hour in zones where speed is unlimited. As a group traveling reasonably fast but just not fast by Northern Territory standards where speeds over 160km per hour are not unusual. The Northern Territory is the only state in Australia where these high speeds are tolerated without penalty so perhaps the slower speeds are more indicative of Australian conditions on the whole.

Greenfleet: Greenfleet Class show cases fuel efficient technology and low carbon fuels

The Greenfleet event showcases emerging and fuel efficient technology for cars. We monitor each vehicle?s fuel consumption between Darwin and Adelaide being a journey of nearly 3,500 km.

The Greenfleet class has a range of vehicles entered which include hybrid petrol engines, Honda Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid, diesels, Smart Car (2 seater), Peugot 307 (1.6L) and a Holden Astra, a conventional petrol engine Mitsuibishi Colt, a Toyota Landcruiser running on biodiesel made from Canola Oil, a 1925 Austin running on ethanol produced from sugar cane and last but not least, an electric car entered by the Anesley College.

Each day we refuel each car and monitor the kilometers and the distance traveled. After each refueling we seal the tanks with security tape. Its very tricky tape which leaves a nasty ?security? print on the car when its removed. What is important for this class is the average fuel consumption over the journey not who gets there fastest. Its not a race.

Greenfleet: Coming to the Alice?..

The Greenfleet Class of vehicles traveled down to Alice Springs today. Most of the teams left Tennant Creek by 8.30am and took advantage of a stop off at the ?Devil?s Marbles?. A mystical grouping of large boulders lying literally like a pile of massive marbles. I could spend all day there and I truly struggle to return to the car to make it to the next stop for refueling. It doesn?t seem fair to be so close to so many wonderful sights and not have sufficient time to do them real justice but onto the Alice we went.

Alice Springs is known as the dead heart of Australia but it seems alive and kicking to me ? shopping malls, new hotels and even a casino. Alice Springs is set between the outcrops of rock know as the MacDonald Ranges. Its difficult to describe how beautiful this town is. The rocky outcrops which run oranges and reds are lined by white barked ghost gums and set against a sky so blue it must have a lens filter on it. The soil out here is a magnificent red, deep rich luminous earthy red. I never become tired of being in this part of the country; it?s too spectacular.

At the end of each day we attend a community event: sausage sizzle and cold drinks. Today the cars were parked in the city?s Todd Mall and it was great to mix with the locals and to see their interest in the cars. I find great enjoyment dispelling mistaken beliefs about these cars. ?How often do you have to plug the hybrid to recharge it?? is a particular favourite. It seems that there is a much work to be done when it comes to the average person?s understanding of alternatives to the fuel guzzling petrol engine.

Greenfleet: This is a great to to start

Hi

I am sitting in the car park at Aileron which is 140km north of th Alice. This is my first go at a real remote office. We always laugh at work that the local cafe where we hold meetings with coffee is the local remote office but it has nothing on this. Our group has stopped for a photo opportunity for the local media and I am causing a sensation with this technology. Its fantastic!

The teams are all going really well. A couple of hiccups with support vehicles and one car overdid the speed (real speed) on the highway and their fuel consumption reduced to a normal car - hence the problem. But its all fun.