Think of it as an eco-friendly spin on the classic Cannonball Run. John and Helen Taylor, the Australian hypermilers we told you about last week, are about halfway through their attempt to break the world record for lowest cross country fuel consumption.

As of Wednesday, the couple had driven a Volkswagen Jetta TDI through more than twenty four states with an average fuel economy of 58.78 mpg – well ahead of the current record of 51.58 mpg. On Thursday they conquered the Great Plains, passing through northern states including North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.

While they are employing a host of hypermiling techniques, including driving at lower speeds and avoiding idling, the Taylors are hardly roughing it. In fact, they are plugged in and answering e-mails sent to the address, fuelacademy@gmail.com. Shoot them a question and let us know how they respond.