"Three out four gallons of the petroleum we use in our vehicles is imported. This is making us poor and them rich. The goal is to live better on less energy. Fuel economy begins with streamlining and the correct horsepower"

Craig Vetter
What has been done:
What is being done:
What must be done:
Follow my progress in developing the vehicle that can help to solve our problems My proposal to wean ourselves from foreign oil, to live within our budget of energy and and to inspire new industry in these United States
See Streamliners every year at Vintage Days Mansfield, Ohio,
Consider the following facts:

Horsepower consumes fuel
Less horsepower consumes less fuel.

Streamlining is round at the front and pointed at the rear.
The streamlined shape goes through the air with the least energy.

Streamlining allows less horsepower to push you through the air.
This streamlined fairing is still available

Fuel economy begins with streamlining and the right horsepower

Fred Hayes

Vic Valdes

Craig Vetter

Joshua Chen

Alan Smith
The new Fuel Economy Pioneers of the Las Vegas Run of 2011
Readers write:

Craig,

The main Vetter Fuel Challenge goal, "to encourage you to develop a truly useful vehicle" is a great goal for this event. Helping create vehicles that can (and might be) used in the real world is an excellent thing to do.

More people than you expect are reading your online articles. Please keep them online for as long as the site is active, if only in an Archive area. Even if the Fuel Challenge is no longer, keeping the articles there will ensure others can find them in the future, and hopefully become more interested in creating fuel efficient vehicles.

Thank you. Please keep doing what you're doing.

Chuck, SF

Craig replies: "We are just getting started, Chuck. Thanks for your encouragement"
A feet-forward sitting position is easier to streamline

Pioneering "Feet-Forward" designs

Sitting up in a comfortable position puts us in a very comfortable "Lawnchair" position - with our feet out in front. Thus the name "Feet-Forward". Because we sit so much lower than a motorcycle, our frontal area is smaller. This makes it easier to streamline. A "Feet Forward" sitting position is the first step in streamlining. Take a peek at some of the Pioneer "Feet-Forward" Designers.

It is my hope that today's innovators in fuel economy will be inspired by "Feet-Forward" efforts. We should take advantage of their pioneering head start.

This DVD is good place to begin:

They won't tell you this in school
San Francisco, Oct 20, 2007. I made this presentation to the ICSID/ IDSA World Congress "Connecting '07"

Two HDTF cameras recorded the event. Professionally mastered.

This may be the most important resource on my website.

 48 minutes long. Over 200 never before published high quality images including video.

Interviews with the winners tell us what worked and what did not work

Everything I know about these machines and their designer-builders is on this DVD.
Your better mileage project begins on this DVD
This video requires QuickTime to play. You can download it free from Apple's site here
"Popular Culture believes one thing...

The Truth may be something else."
470 mpg DVD $25 includes shipping 470 mpg DVD $30 includes shipping
This page posted Aug 2, 2008

Updated Nov 23, 2012
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