The 100 mpg Gas Guzzler
Jonathan Goodwin dropped out of seventh grade to help pay the bills and follow his passion for cars and engines. Today the automotive world bows to his genius and wonders if this car nut might actually win the 10 million dollar X PRIZE for producing a low emission, competitively priced, 100 mile per gallon car.
His partner in this venture is Neil Young, rock legend, who contributed his 1960, Lincoln Continental “boat” as Goodwin’s test car.
Goodwin works out of a garage where he specializes in converting Hummers into fuel sipping diesels while boosting their power. He also likes to run his thug cars on fried chicken grease contributed by the local KFC outlet.
The fact that the prestigious X PRIZE contest committee has allowed Goodwin and Young to apply to join the elite, well financed, automotive companies from around the world gives him credibility.
Goodwin is negotiating with DHL to convert 800 vehicles to super efficient systems which cut fuel costs by 50 percent.
It appears that his approach is unique because he does not want to build a new vehicle and engine. His devious plan is to make inexpensive conversion packages for existing vehicles turning them into biodiesel burning plug-in hybrids.
Proving his point on Neil Young’s 40 foot “boat” may not win the X PRIZE, but that’s what they said about the crazy bike mechanics Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1903.
