Suzuki completes EcoFuel run to D.C. during ABC
Suzuki Marine is featuring a boat at the 2023 American Boating Congress (ABC) that has made the journey from the company’s home state of Florida up to the nation’s capitol. The trip — dubbed the Suzuki Marine EcoFuel Run to the Capitol — covered more than 940 miles aboard a 26-foot Sea Pro center console powered by twin Suzuki DF140 outboards and fueled exclusively by new EcoGen90 sustainable marine fuel from VP Racing.
This boat will be used during ABC for on-water demonstrations to highlight and promote the availability of new sustainable and environmentally friendly marine fuels to the boating industry and government decision makers, in support of an ongoing effort by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA).
“We undertook this voyage in support of NMMA’s initiative to educate and inform the industry, policy makers and the boating public about alternative marine fuels,” said George “Gus” Blakely, Suzuki Marine Executive Vice President Sales & Service. “There are roughly 12 million gasoline powered boats across American today, so these new fuels offer a real opportunity for boaters and the boating industry to make an impact and lessen our environmental footprint. Not only are these fuels formulated with renewable content, but they also produce substantially fewer emissions and even provide boaters with enhanced performance and reliability. This is a win-win for boaters, the industry, and the environment,” added Blakely.
Strategically placed stops to rest up and refuel were taken at key Suzuki Marine dealers along the route. Among the dealers involved in supporting this undertaking were Advance Marine of Jacksonville, Florida; Phil Dolan Yacht Sales of Savannah, Georgia; Cove 2 Coast Marine of Charleston, South Carolina; Coastal Marine of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Marine Warehouse of Wilmington, North Carolina; Fort Macon Marine of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina; Bill’s Marine of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina; Centerville Marine of Chesapeake, Virginia; Friday’s Marine of Saluda, Virginia and Newburg Marine of Newburg, Maryland.
The boat logged 941.5 miles while burning 479 gallons of EcoGen90 fuel — just under 2 mpg in a 26-foot center console with twin 140 outboards. In addition to running the entire 940+ miles on the EcoFuel blend, the twin DF140 outboards were equipped with Suzuki’s Micro Plastic Collecting Device. These devices, which are integrated into the outboards’ cooling systems, were checked, and cleaned regularly throughout the journey, with the bits of collected micro plastic pollution being sent to Suzuki in Japan for review and analysis.
“This voyage was an important first step. We look forward to working closely with NMMA during ABC to shine a spotlight on new sustainable marine fuels and the positive impact they can have on our industry and the environment,” said Blakely. “I want to thank VP Racing and our many dealers who supported and participated in this important effort. Suzuki will continue to focus on removing micro plastic pollution from our waters, reducing the use of plastics across our business, and spearheading grass roots efforts to clean up our coastlines as part of our CLEAN OCEAN PROJECT initiative.”
Source: https://boatingindustry.com/news/2023/05/09/suzuki-completes-ecofuel-run-to-d-c-during-abc/
