Suzuki Marine made their presence felt in the U.S. Capitol by arriving in style thanks to an impressive 941 mile journey using eco-fuel.
The engine builder used a 26-foot Sea Pro center console to travel 941 miles from their new headquarters in Florida to Washington, D.C. to coincide with the start of the 2023 American Boating Congress (ABC) organized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
The boat took 10 days to travel to the capitol with the help of twin Suzuki DF140 outboards. Along the way the team burned 479 gallons (1813 L) of EcoGen90 fuel developed by VP Racing. The Sea Pro 259V has a standard fuel tank of 147 gallons (556 L) and a total weight of roughly 6265 lbs (2841 kg) with twin outboards. In other words, the team made the journey using just over three tanks of gas with an average burn rate of about 2 miles per gallon.
The new DF140 powerhead was launched in 2021 to an eager audience, thanks in large part to a new 4-stroke drive-by-wire technology designed specifically for the platform.
“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 in a company statement.
“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.
The boat was piloted for the entire run by Nick Abraham and Matt Dugas — both Suzuki Marine endurance test captains based at the company’s U.S. Technical Center in Panama City, FL. They were also accompanied on different legs of the voyage by Suzuki Marine executives and boating journalists.
To maximize their output, the boat utilized VP Racing's new EcoGen90 fuel, which is a non-ethanol based fuel consisting of 10% renewable blend stock. The mixture also reduces emissions while simultaneously improving efficiency. Other features of the EcoGen90 mixture include a low water affinity, reduced carbon emissions, less engine wear due to the lack of ethanol, and no additional infrastructure changes are required to be added to the boat or engine.
According to Blakely, “There are roughly 12 million gasoline powered boats across America 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.”
In addition to the fuel choice, Suzuki also added their standard Micro Plastic Collecting Device to the cooling systems on each outboard. The units were checked throughout the journey with collections of microplastics being sent back to Suzuki in Japan for analysis as part of the company's Clean Ocean Project.
You can learn more about Suzuki's eco-fuel advancements below:
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