Norwegians Knut Wilthil (52) and Hanrik Borchegrevink (42) have set a new fuel saving record driving a Ford Mondeo on Continental ContiEcoContact 5 summer tyres.

The two men started their record-breaking journey in Helsingfors, Finland (near Helsinki), heading for Oslo in a Ford Mondeo ECOnetic. But Wilthil and Borchegrevink didn’t take the direct route: From Helsinki, they headed north on the E 75. They traveled the east coast of Sweden along the Gulf of Bothia, continuing south to Stockholm via Haparada. They then set their sights on Uddevalla, on the west coast of Sweden, and crossed the border into Norway. The Ford finally came to a stop just after Oslo – the tank was empty.

On the 46-hour journey, the vehicle required just 2.8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. According to the manufacturer, the Ford Mondeo ECOnetic with a start-stop system, 1.6-liter TDCi diesel engine and 115 hp normally uses 4.3 liters per 100 kilometers. This means that the tank would have run dry after 1,649.5 kilometers.

But Wilthil and Borchegrevink managed an impressive 886.9 kilometers more on their tour through Northern Europe. This outstanding achievement was all down to an economical driving style as well as the ContiEcoContact 5, size 205/60 R 16, which offers more than 20 per cent  lower rolling resistance than its predecessor.

Frank Larsen, technical director of Continental tires in Norway, had the following to say: “This top performance is the best evidence of how far we have come in the last few years in the development of energy efficient tyres.”

As Wilthil and Borchegrevink neared the destination of their nearly two-day tour, the experts in saving fuel explained their driving tactics: “While driving, you should always make sure that there is enough space between you and the car in front. If you’re in a hurry and continually accelerate and brake, you don’t really gain time, but instead drive up gas consumption.”