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From: gvcormack@watdaisy.UUCP (Gordon V. Cormack)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.legal
Subject: Re: 70 mph fuel economy
Message-ID: <7394@watdaisy.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Sep-85 22:59:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdaisy.7394
Posted: Mon Sep  9 22:59:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Sep-85 05:11:35 EDT
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Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
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Xref: watmath net.auto:8091 net.legal:2300

> limits in various foreign countries. 100 km/h is the limit in Australia,
> Canada, and (I think) France. 70 is or was the limit in England at one time,
> 
> Anyone have any better info on this?

Actually, the speed limit in Canada varies from province to province.
Most use 100 km/h on divided highways.  A couple use 110 km/h.
The default speed limit for 2-lane roads varies from 80 km/h to
100 km/h, depending on the province.

I have compiled some statistics on the gas mileage of my 85 Honda
GL sedan:

   100 km/h:  17 km/l
   110 km/h:  15 km/l
   120 km/h:  14 km/l
   130 km/h:  13 km/l
   in town:   13 km/l

Clearly, there is a direct relationship between speed and fuel 
consumption.

As to the speed at which cars are optimal,

  (a) I would probably get better mileage still at 90 km/h,
      but have never driven far enough to measure it.

  (b) I agree that currently cars are optimized to do well in
      the EPA (or Transport Canada) tests.  Unfortunately, this
      means they are optimized for a particular artificial dyno
      test, quite possibly increasing the actual fuel
      consumption.
-- 
Gordon V. Cormack      CS Department, University of Waterloo
   gvcormack@watdaisy.uucp     gvcormack%watdaisy@waterloo.csnet