Shell-fuelled Guinness world record-setting couple shares experiences, driving tips

After 78 intense days of driving across the globe, John and Helen Taylor, together with Shell, have earned a triumphant record — a Guinness World Record for Fuel Economy around the world in a standard car. And they flew into town last week to share their remarkable experience.

"We are extremely excited to welcome John and Helen Taylor to the Philippines and share the celebration with our loyal Filipino motorists," exclaimed Edgar Chua, Country Chairman Shell Philippines.

The Shell Fuel Economy World Record Challenge, which began in January of this year, rewarded Shell with the most fuel-efficient circumnavigation of the world ever undertaken in a completely unmodified standard car (in this case, a stock manual transmission-equipped Volkswagen Golf FSI 1.6), using only 24 tanks of Shell fuel. Now, Shell wants to share the celebration and valuable experiences with Filipino motorists.

"We have always been committed to helping everyday drivers achieve greater fuel efficiency no matter where they live or what they drive," said Sammy de Guzman, General Manager Shell Retail Philippines. "Together with the Taylors, we are challenging Filipino motorists to go further and set their own personal records," he added.

Over the next couple of weeks, Pilipinas Shell will be hosting a series of Fuel Economy Clinics featuring John and Helen Taylor. Participants will learn valuable tips from the couple and even get the chance to ride in a car with them for an actual fuel economy driving demonstration.

The Taylors left London January 17 and returned after covering 28,970 kilometers across 25 countries and four continents (Europe, Asia, North America, Australia) in 78 days. New Zealand and Spain were two antipodal points that Guinness required them to pass to validate their journey. They had to abide by all local road rules and regulations and drove most of the time during normal driving hours. (Other fuel economy runs do most of the driving past midnight until the wee hours of the morning when there is little or no traffic.)

Over the course of the trip, they consumed 1,303 liters of fuel, averaging 22.2 kilometers per liter — a phenomenal achievement considering the official VW figures over the combined cycle (a combination of urban and extra-urban cycles) for the VW Golf FSI 1.6 is 14.3 km/li.

During the journey, the Taylors, who split the driving duties evenly, encountered every extreme of temperature, climate and terrain. But despite these arduous conditions, the record was achieved through a combination of Shell fuels and fuel efficient/Fuel Stretch driving practices. (Their minimum speed was 25 kph and their maximum speed was 110 kph.)

"Getting this trip together was the realization of a great ambition for Helen and myself," admitted John Taylor. "A true technical challenge for the fuel, and a real test of endurance for all the team involved. I am so proud to have set the record with Shell," he added.

In addition to the arrival of the Taylors in the Philippines and the clinics, Pilipinas Shell joins the global celebration of their Guinness World Record by making 10 lucky millionaires in a day out of ordinary motorists through the "Sampung Milyonaryo sa Isang Araw" promotion.

"We are committed to developing better fuels for Filipino motorists and have had over 70 years of innovation to give them fuels that address motorists’ needs for greater fuel efficiency, and are specifically designed to take drivers further," explained Carl Posadas, Local Implementer, Fuels Category Management-Philippines & North Pacific Islands. "Nowadays, drivers like you and me look for ways to drive more efficiently, thereby saving money. John and Helen Taylor are a testament to Shell fuels and to the principles of fuel efficient/fuel stretch driving," he added.