Here are facts and figures about MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience Professor Cliff Ricketts’ March 4-8, 2012, quest to drive coast-to-coast across the southern tier of the United States on 10 gallons of gasoline or less.

Trip details

Length of trip: About 2,532 miles
Trip start: Tybee Island, Ga.
Trip projected end: Long Beach, Calif.
Trip route: Interstate 16 in Georgia; I-75 through Georgia and Tennessee; I-24 in Tennessee; I-40 through Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California; and California Route 210 West, I-210 west, I-605 south, I-105 west and I-710 south
Alternative-fuels vehicles in use: 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid, 1994 Toyota Tercel, 2007 Prius hybrid

Traveling Support team members: Terry Young, hydrogen expert, Woodbury, Tenn., and Mike Sims, electrical expert, Jackson, Mich.; MTSU agriculture students Travis Owens of Woodbury, Brett Harris of Manchester, Tenn., and Steve Foe of Murfreesboro; agriculture student teachers Hayley Box of Murfreesboro and McEwen, Tenn., and Dawn Baker of Tipton, Ind.; and Austin Peay State University student Sonya D’Archangel of McEwen

Sponsors: Tractor Supply Co. (20-plus years); Farm Credit Services of Mid-America  ($15,000 and $1,500 grants); MTSU Office of the Provost and Office of Research and the College of Basic and Applied Sciences

Media contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 (o), 615-785-1196 (c) or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu

In the rear-view mirror

Day 1 (March 4) details
Depart from: Tybee Island, Ga., 8 a.m. ET
Destination: Murfreesboro (7:09 p.m. CT arrival)
Approximate distance: 521 miles
Alternative-fuels vehicle in use: 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid, 1994 Toyota Tercel
Fuel sources: Solar power and hydrogen from water
Amount of gas used: 0 gallons

Day 2 (March 5) details
Depart from: Murfreesboro, 8 a.m. CT
Destination: Fort Smith, Ark. (8 p.m. CT arrival)
Approximate distance: 521 miles
Alternative-fuels vehicle in use: 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid, 1994 Toyota Tercel and 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid
Fuel sources: Solar power and hydrogen from water
Amount of gas used: 0.125 gallons (Note: In the 900 miles driven from Tybee Island, Ga., to Conway, Ark., no gasoline was used)

Day 3 (March 6) details
Depart from: Fort Smith, Ark., 7:30 a.m. CT
Destination: Santa Rosa, N.M. (7 p.m. MT arrival)
Approximate distance: 610 miles
Alternative-fuels vehicle in use: 2007 Toyota Prius
Fuel sources: E95 (5 percent ethanol/5 percent gas) and electric

Day 4 (March 7) details
Depart from: Santa Rosa, N.M., 7:30 a.m. CT
Destination: Kingman, Ariz. (7 p.m. MT arrival)
Approximate distance: 511 miles
Alternative-fuels vehicle in use: 2007 Toyota Prius
Fuel sources: E95 (5 percent ethanol/5 percent gas) and electric

Day 5 (March 8 ) details
Depart from: Kingman, Ariz., 7 a.m. MT
Destination: Long Beach, Calif.  (3:15 p.m. CST/1:15 PT arrival time)
Approximate distance: 342 miles
Alternative-fuels vehicle in use: 2007 Toyota Prius
Fuel sources: E95 (5 percent ethanol/5 percent gas) and electric

Amount of gas used for total trip: 2.15 gallons

(Source: Dr. Cliff Ricketts; all times approximate)