Maximum range is a critical specification for EVs, but we all appreciate being able to go a long way between fuel stops, no matter what powers our cars. The current European Rally Champion, Miko Marczyk, has set a new world record for driving 1,759 miles on a single tank of fuel, according to Guinness World Records. While this is much farther than the current EV record-holding Chevy Silverado EV, which barely broke 1,000, it wasn’t a gas car that achieved this or even a hybrid, but a diesel Skoda Superb. From Guinness:
The greatest distance driven on a single tank of fuel is 2,831 km (1,759 mi) and was achieved by Miko Marczyk (Poland) from 5 to 7 March 2025.
Miko is a professional rally driver and took on this challenge to show his skills in eco-driving as well as to demonstrate that a reduction in CO2 is achievable for everybody.
He drove an unmodified fourth-generation Škoda Superb from Lodz in Poland through to Germany and Paris before turning back and passing through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, then finally back into Poland where the car came to a stop.
Guinness isn’t entirely correct that the car was unmodified, but it wasn’t tweaked very much. According to Skoda, the only alterations from its stock configuration were low rolling resistance tires on the stock 16-inch wheels, plus Sportline springs that lowered the car by a little more than half an inch, improving aerodynamics. There were no auxiliary fuel tanks to extend the car’s range (a common Cannonball trick), only the 17.4-gallon tank installed at the factory.
Under the hood sat a 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission. If “TDI” evokes Volkswagen vibes in your memory, you are correct, as Skoda is one of VW’s brands. While the Dieselgate scandal sullied the TDI name and diesel in general for North American cars, it lives on in Europe, though certainly on a smaller scale than in its heyday. While they were available in the US, the Golf and Jetta TDI routinely earned EPA ratings above 40 MPG on the highway, better than anything else at the time besides a hybrid.
Precision driving
To set his record, Marczyk averaged 90.12 MPG during the drive, almost double the Skoda Superb’s official combined WLTP rating, which, translated to Freedom Units, is 49 MPG. This feat was achieved through the driver’s skill, who employed preparation, research, and hypermiling techniques. In addition to the lowered ride height and low rolling resistance tires, Marczyk ensured that they were set to factory-recommended pressures. (He did not overinflate them to create a smaller contact patch as some hypermilers have been known to do, insisting that factory pressures are sufficient.) During his drive across Europe and back, Marczyk had a support vehicle a mile or two ahead to report the conditions he was about to encounter. This is akin to a rally co-driver’s notes advising the driver of precise details of the rally stage ahead, enabling Marczyk to anticipate them before he could see them.
Instead of taking a “right six flat over crest,” however, Marczyk used such intel to drive as efficiently as possible. “Even minor details mattered, like a slight incline toward a toll booth, which helped me lift my foot off the accelerator sooner and barely brake until reaching the barrier,” he said in Skoda’s press release. He also drove no faster than about 50 mph, since aerodynamic drag builds quickly at higher speeds. He drove the Skoda in Eco mode and kept his distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden and unexpected stops. Marczyk says he could still catch a draft from large trucks at these distances, which was particularly useful in headwinds.
Despite winning the record, Marczyk believes he could do even better. Overnight temperatures around freezing in Germany decreased efficiency, as well as some long uphill climbs that he could avoid in a future attempt. He thinks he could surpass 1,864 miles, the magical mark of 3,000 kilometers, a measurement that actually matters in Europe. Rallying and hypermiling are pretty much opposite extremes of driving, but both require extreme precision to do well. Miko Marczyk has proven himself to be a champion in both disciplines.
