Soccer Nuts Wasting Fuel with Flags

It is the Euro 2008 soccer championships and this city is going nuts. Every second car on the street is festooned with little flags; perhaps they shouldn't be. Engineers are quoted in the Guardian as saying that that the flags, which are usually attached to window frames, cause wind resistance, which alters a car's aerodynamics and causes it to burn more fuel.

The Austrian car club says "attaching two flags to a car leads to an increased petrol consumption of "up to half a litre a kilometre on motorways and rural stretches".

The Germans accuse the Austrians of being spoilsports. "As Austria has no chance of victory, it would appear they're trying to make this into a problem for Germany. The eco party poopers have managed to declare even football a climate-killer ... there are no sacred cows any more when it comes to the climate debate."

In this case, the Germans might have a point. Half a litre per kilometer is about a 5% hit on fuel efficiency; can a couple of dinky flags do that? UPDATE: no, I am off in my decimal points. it is a 500% hit on fuel efficiency. Something isn't right at the Austrian Car Club. UPDATE: a German reader informs us that the original article claimed "Auf Überlandfahrten oder auf der Autobahn können die Fan-Mobile ungefähr einen halben Liter mehr Kraftstoff auf 100 Kilometer verbrauchen." or half a liter per 100 kilometers, or a 5% hit on performance. ::Guardian

Comments

[Seafoam]

Not important but met lots of rather homely girls from Brazil. Just as in any country.

[AmericanSinceFeb08]

Please from now only report on track and field and bicycle racing, horse racing, dog racing In cycling, ban the cars with the mechanics, managers and officials, like in the old days, if you have a flat, fix it yourself.

Ever wondered how much energy is wasted by playing hockey in Florida, Puerto Rico and California?

[ReelBusy]

I won't waste any energy on hockey.
except this post.
done.

[wolfgangmo]

I can guarantee that the amount of energy wasted on hockey is MUCH higher is Canada.

[Jey]

Flags or NASCAR, which waste more gas?

[ReelBusy]

Soccer flags or Nascar?
I think we have to go to the beer consumption tie-breaker.
Nope still tied.

[CrzyRussell]

Soccer or NASCAR??? Both are legit sports. Although NASCAR fans tend to be a bit more civilized.

[dragginwillie]

What does Brasil have to do with the Euro2008?

[hbw3]

Good point! Given that Brazil is also energy independent, drawing a large portion of its vehicle fuel from sugar cane ethanol, the Brazil reference doubly misses the point...

[richardgordon]

This is ridiculous! It trivializes an important debate. Lets look for real solutions to this serious problem, not nitpick people's lives.

[unitron]

Who cares about the environment? Where can I find more pictures of the young lady in the yellow shirt? :-)

[TroubleNYC]

The googles man. The googles.

[Pyrrhus]

No kidding! Must be something in the water, because I've never met an unattractive woman from Brazil.

Even if you don't like soccer, sometimes it's worth watching the World Cup just for this.

[nathananderson]

2 girls 1 cup is from Brazil

[relikx]

Well Germany lost today so screw them.

[Steeevyo]

Hey we were just resting for a bit.
To save some energy for carrying the heavy cup through the arena
and for mating with the defeated countrys ladies.

[arthur]

You guys are nuts! That is impossible Mathematics..

[flamflurm]

Hey man! Aerodynamics is important! It realy works out to 2560000000%.