A challenge to see how long the Ford Fusion Hybrid could travel on a single tank of gas provided dividends for both “hypermilers” and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The goal for a team of engineers, one racecar driver and a man known for milking mileage, was to make it 1,000 miles using tactics to conserve fuel like coasting, keeping windows closed at high speeds and turning off electronics.

But they reached that goal with about a third of a tank remaining, and ended up traveling 1,445 miles and raising over $8,000 for JDRF.

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards was a member of the team, and even he was impressed by the Fusion Hybrid’s economy, though he’s no stranger to sipping fuel: in 2008, he won at Texas by traveling well below the average race speed and conserving fuel while other racers had to make pit stops.

The tactics that they used can benefit drivers of any vehicle, including used cars, because the tactics were developed by drivers using standard cars. Just don’t expect to make it almost 1,500 miles before the next fill-up.

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