The AJAC 2015 Eco Run Starts Today

Mike Schlee
by Mike Schlee
The annual Eco-Run is once again underway, put on by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The goal of the event is to highlight the latest in eco-friendly vehicles from a variety of manufacturers. Unlike a lot of automotive events, the Eco-Run focuses on fuel economy results above all else. Using real world conditions on real roads, 20 vehicles will travel over the course of two days to exhibit advancements in fuel saving technology across all consumer markets.

That means the Eco-Run is not limited to hybrids and electric vehicles. This year, electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEV), conventional hybrids, diesels, gasoline powered vehicles and even a hydrogen fuel cell crossover will participate.

This year list of entries includes a variety of vehicles from several different market segments. They are:

  • Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
  • BMW X3 xDrive 28d
  • Chevrolet Colorado
  • Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
  • Chevrolet Volt
  • Ford F-150 2.7L
  • Ford Focus 1.0L
  • Ford Mustang EcoBoost
  • Hyundai Tucson FCEV
  • Infiniti Q50 Hybrid
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel
  • Kia Soul EV
  • Mazda CX-5
  • Mazda3 Sport GT
  • Mazda6 GT i-ELOOP
  • Nissan LEAF SL
  • Nissan Micra S
  • Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid
  • Subaru Legacy
  • Volkswagen Golf TDI Clean Diesel

This is not a contest between the vehicles to be the most efficient, but rather a showcase. There is a friendly competition between the various journalists participating as drivers to see who can achieve the best fuel economy in each vehicle. I’ll be attending the event from March 25-26 and hope to hyper-mile my way to victory. Following along live with me @mikeschlee and check back here regularly for updates during the two-day event.

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Mike Schlee
Mike Schlee

A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.

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