Electric vehicle critics often cite the efficiency and long-distance capabilities of diesel-powered cars as reasons to stay away from EVs, especially in Europe. And there’s a lot of evidence to backup such claims, as diesel-powered cars can easily do double, and often even triple, the range of an EV. Obviously, fuel costs are greater than electricity costs but diesel vehicles are often cheaper than EVs. YouTuber Joe Achilles is a bit proponent of diesel vehicles for efficiency and likes to torture himself by doing huge range tests and his latest video is no different, as he attempted to drive his diesel 7 Series from London to Madrid.
Just a quick Google Maps search says that drive is just over 1,000 miles, a pipe-dream distance for EVs at the moment. However, during his last diesel 7 Series range test, with a BMW 730d, Achilles was able to achieve over 900 miles. So can he stretch it a bit further and crest that four-figure mileage marker?
In this new video, Achilles started out in the heart of London, with his photographer/videographer Patrick, and drove to Madrid. He fitted his 7er with Michelin’s e Primacy tires, the most efficient tire the brand makes, but that was offset by all the weight added to the car, from having a passenger, full-size spare tire, and camera gear. Due to the distance they needed to cover and the amount of fuel in the tank, they needed to average over 64 mpg throughout the trip, which sounds insane.
After over 20 hours of driving, several pit stops and driver swaps (so the other could nap), they actually finally made it to Madrid on just one tank of fuel. It’s actually really interesting to see just how they were able to do it, how they managed fuel, and how much fuel/range they had in the tank at the end of the journey. It also shows just how long-legged diesel engines can be, especially when you consider the fact that the BMW 730d is a massively heavy, uber-luxurious sedan with a back seat similar to a first-class flight. It isn’t some uber-efficient econobox. So the fact that you can get over 1,000 miles of range, fairly easily, out of such a car is genuinely impressive.
