Hospital requested emergent transport of blood platelets for a patient bleeding out in surgery.
Fastest 2008 Expedition attained was 103 mph.
Hospital called back for ETA.
Would Camry Hybrid have been faster on 80-mile level Interstate highway transport?
(Don’t know if patient survived.)
Thank you.
Robert, now you’re just pulling our chain, aren’t you? Are you saying that the Expedition reached 103 mph on public roads? Without emergency escort? There is NO reason to put the rest of us at risk with driving like that.
Vacant, level, smooth, dry Interstate highway.
Law Enforcement notified.
Equipped with approved emergency lights and siren. (Siren off)
Always assuming the worst can happen, I slow when approaching traffic.
It’s Deja vu all over again…a dream or a …
If you have a hybrid, you could probably destroy it by racing with it. You really can’t trust the handling of a hybrid at that speed. I don’t believe it was made for that.
In a 75 mph zone I have gently accelerated it up to 95 mph. (I do everything gently.)
The Camry felt very smooth, stable and effortless.
Traffic was ahead so I could not gradually get up to a higher speed before coasting down to 85.
(I had called the State Patrol asking them to do a relay but they called back and said the closest units were too far away.)
The Toyota Hybrid system is not designed for continuous high speeds. At 100 mph and up you are pushing a ton more air than at 65. Likely something like 10X more air resistance. This means the small gas motor is going to be doing a lot of work.
If it could reach 100 mph and sustain it the strain on the car would be much greater than a conventional Camry. If you really need to put a vehicle in this type of high speed service you should look at Camaros, Mustangs, and Chargers. The Expedition is too big and top heavy for this duty, and the Camry Hybrid is under designed and softly sprung. Now a hemi Charger would do nicely.
Perhaps your group should be driving “Police” packaged equipped vehicles. Then at least at these speeds you’ll know the equipment is up to the task. Driver training for high speeds should be a requirement as well.
Yes. Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed.
Unfortunately these are the vehicles we have.
I kept monitoring temperature gauge and listening.
Heater and radio turned off to lessen load as much as possible.
The engine never sounded like it wastraining at all. (The elevation gradually descends and heading eastbound I had a tailwind.)
Returning westbound I drove between 55 and 60 mph trying to save fuel. Usually I drive between 50 and 60 on interstate highways, always in right lane, but I was way out in the plains.
We are classroom-trained in high speed driving.
The only times attaining higher speeds are on nearly vacant interstates in the plains.
If you need to drive this fast, and it sounds like you really do, you may look into a former police vehicle. They are designed to be driven at sustained high speeds, with better suspension and with no electronic speed limiters. If you need four wheel drive, look into a police package Chevy Tahoe. It’s similar in size to your Expedition, but will have a much higher top speed.
You may also want to look into some formal behind the wheel high speed driving training to supplement your classroom training. No matter how good a driver you feel you are, you can always learn more, and I feel this would be beneficial to you. See about the possibility of going to a police academy or, if that is not available to you, a racing school. I guarantee you will learn something either way.
How do you avoid getting a ticket driving at those UNSANE speeds??? Blook transport or not…you are NOT allowed to travel above the speed limit on public roads…
Camry hybrid? You’re kidding, right?
What you need, Robert, is a Ford Crown Victoria with the Police Interceptor package.
High output engine, cop tires, cop shocks, cop brakes.
This would be much safer at the speeds you drive than an Expedition.
I hope you’ve been trained to handle a vehicle at these speeds.
What vehicles are used in such courses?
The opinion was that since we do not drive much above posted speed limits, especially near others, such training will not be worth the co$ts.
Would be nice to learn Expedition handling, but I never go around corners or curves fast
and drive conservatively in traffic. Have never had to make an evasive maneuver.
A blowout is my greatest concern. Also puncturing a tire if on the shoulder passing traffic.
(In congested interstate traffic, I try to stay off shoulders and go between vehicles in lanes 1 and 2. Often vehicles in lane 1 move left to the shoulder.)
Authorized emergency vehicles approved by law enforcement. Same as ambulances but not as big and heavy.
Law enforcement is notified of emergency runs and they also give us route advisements.
You are NOT allowed to travel at THOSE speeds…sorry don’t believe it. There’s no way law enforcement is going to allow you to endanger the lives of everyone else on the road to transport blood.
Who is being endangered?
Highest speeds are attained when away from traffic.
Although there have been occasions where I never caught up to a vehicle ahead.
They were probably traveling above 90. Many do in 75 mph zones in western states.
Through Wyoming I made better time hitchiking than driving myself athe speed limit!
Who answered top speed?
What I have done is not top speed.
I don’t knowhat the peak speed is. Doubt the manual gives it.
Tires are rated to 112 mph.
(No funeral. I’m being parted out, if possible, and cremated.)
“You are NOT allowed to travel at THOSE speeds…sorry don’t believe it. There’s no way law enforcement is going to allow you to endanger the lives of everyone else on the road to transport blood.”
Mike is right. We did this thing eons ago and we all seem to have too much free time on their hands answering these inquiries (SELF INCLUDED). NO ONE other than those in legal pursuit or being “supervised” by law enforcement has a “right” to travel at excessive speeds.
For goodness sake, enroll your self in the state police academy police training courses, get your certificate, apply for a job as a cop, go on patrol, and look for the first speeding Expedition that goes by and have at it. I practically guarantee the Crown Vic they give you will be a lot safer than any hybrid you can come up with.
Please stop using dieing patients as a reason to speed. Even ambulances I’ve driven weren’t “allowed” to exceed the speed limit by that much.
Classroom training isn’t at all the same as “on course” training especially when it comes to high speed driving.
You say you don’t speed much on these runs, then regularly ask questions about doing speeds like 105 mph downhill in an Expedition, and now 100 mph in a hybrid Camry. So, you do drive at these speeds in “emergencies”.
Therefore you are driving the wrong types of vehicles for high speed emergency runs. Your group either has to tell the dispatchers you are going to drive at normal speeds. Or, if the pressure is on to deliver then you need to drive “police equipped” vehicles with speed rated tires, oversized brakes, handling packages, etc. for your safety. When there is an accident (like when a medi-vac chopper crashes) there will be questions and your group isn’t following due diligence in its current practices and procedures.
The guys on this board just aren’t going to give you a straight answer if your question involves traveling faster than a horse and buggy. Over and over, they’re just going to berate you as they do everyone else.
As for your question, assuming you get to go 110 instead of 103 for what, 10-20 of the 80 miles, the time saved is not substantial. Over the entire 80 miles the difference is 43.6 min vs 46.6 min.
Cause the “guys on this board” are about safety and obeying the law. You don’t travel at high speeds in cars that aren’t capable of emergency handling in some manner of safety or do so lawfully. It’s not about whether a car is capable, it’s whether a car is safely capable. Neither Robt. or you seem to get that.