This weekend, a star-studded Team Ford will kick off the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Mile Challenge by attempting to drive more than 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. Drivers for the challenge include several Ford engineers as well as two celebrity guests; noted NASCAR racer, Carl Edwards, and famed hyper-miler, Wayne Gerdes. Intended to demonstrate the Fusion Hybrid’s outstanding fuel efficiency while simultaneously raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the 1,000 Mile Challenge will start at 8:00am Saturday April 25, from Mount Vernon, VA and end 43 hours later on Monday morning in Washington, D.C.

To achieve this fantastic feat on a single tank of gas, the Ford team will need to average at least 57 mpg. While that number seems nearly impossible, Ford engineers were able to average as much as 70 mpg during pre-challenge testing. To ensure that the playing field is as level as possible, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid used for the challenge will be run on 87-octane fuel and will be equipped with only factory-standard parts.

Throughout the course of the race, the Ford team will be posting continuous video, audio, and photographic updates, which we will in turn publish as soon as they are relayed.

Source: Ford
Image Cred: AP Photo