Hypermiling

[losthills]

Hypermiling is getting the best mileage possible by altering your driving techniques. It's sort of about using your vehicles inertia, braking and accelerating as little as possible, keeping your speed down, and some dubious practices like throwing your car into neutral or shutting off your engine whenever you can. I heard about it on NPR. Some practitioners can double or triple their vehicle's ordinary mileage....

59 MPG In An Ordinary Accord:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

[southerncrone]

1. Wow! There's a NAME for the way I've always driven!

Explains why I've always gotten way more than the estimated mileage on the sticker.

[jeff30997]

4. Yep. That makes you a..

Hypermilinger.:)

[southerncrone]

8. Lord knows, I've been called worse!

;)

[Tumbulu]

2. I have learned a lot by reading and trying many of the suggestions

I am not ready to do the turn the ignition off stuff, though, or drive close to semi's.

But I get 55-60 mpg with my hybrid civic (others all seem to get 40-45mpg) and so it really does make a difference.

It is hard because all these people with unlimited gas budgets are zooming around driving like maniacs and it is frightening at times when you are driving as though you are riding a bike.

[jeff30997]

3. I did something similar a long time ago...

I was coming back from a weekend out of town and I realized that I had almost no gas left and there was no gas station between there and my home.Thankfully most of the distance I had to travel was downhill so I switched to neutral most of the way.:)

[Kittycat]

5. We've been doing this, and I noticed higher mileage than normal.

Around 19-28mpg in my Honda Odyssey vs. 15+

We are out of winter though - so that, I'm sure has made an impact to some extent - but still.

We also have an ECO light, and when lit we're getting maximum efficiency. DH mentioned something about running on fewer cylinders, but blond girl syndrome kicked in and *phew* right over my head.

[whistle]

6. Verify that with Click and Clack of NPR

[rawtribe]

7. Just a reminder

impeding the flow of traffic and tailgating is not only rude, it's illegal.

Also shutting off the engine disengages the power steering and breaks. If you turn the key to far you'll lock the wheel.

May I suggest public transit or a bike.

Hypermiling is dangerous.

[tinrobot]

10. Not dangerous in a hybrid...

My engine turns off and restarts automatically.

If I don't hotfoot the gas, I can go up to about 40mph without the motor kicking in, and if I brake slow, the regenerative braking recoups a good portion of that energy.

I'd like to make the car more aerodynamic, though...

[southerncrone]

11. I agree, some of these techniques are too dangerous to employ on most roads

I have never turned the engine off, or put the car in neutral while "going" down the road.

I do, however, take my foot off the gas & coast down hills; anticipate stop signs & lights in advance, & take my foot off gas early to allow car to slow on its own without use of brakes.

Also, pressing the accelerator gently instead of stomping on the gas when taking off from a stopped position.

But, common sense must prevail. I would not do this in certain areas or certain times of day. One could draw a bad case of road rage from your fellow drivers. And we know that road rage can be lethal.:(

[rawtribe]

12. Some of the suggestions

I've read from hypermilers makes me believe common sense isn't that common.

Thanks for being smart and safe.

:)

[losthills]

9. Here's the NPR piece that I heard:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91259501

I wouldn't recommend some of the extreme techniques, but here's some tips for ordinary people:

• Don't use quick accelerations or brake heavily.

• Don't idle excessively.

• Don't drive at higher speeds. This increases wind resistance and mechanical friction, which reduces fuel economy.

• Frequent short trips reduce fuel economy, since your engine doesn't operate efficiently until it is warmed up.

• Remove cargo or cargo racks, which increase aerodynamic drag and lower fuel economy.

• Don't tow unless absolutely necessary.

• Minimize running mechanical and electrical accessories, like your air conditioner.

• Avoid driving on hilly or mountainous terrain if possible.

• Don't use four-wheel drive if it is not needed. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder.

• Park your car face out, if allowable, so you don't have to back out of the space and turn needlessly.

• Minimize having to stop at red lights by scanning the road far ahead and preparing to slow down well in advance.

Source: CleanMPG.com

[pansypoo53219]

13. been a hardcore barefooter

about a decade now. can't drive with shoes. nice to hear my way better. i use the cruise a lot too. but family can't handle the creep up to the stop lights.

[greenvpi]

14. You shouldn't be driving in the first place!

Whatever happened to logic?

[Greyskye]

19. I'm very happy for you.

I'm very happy that you live someplace where a vehicle is not required. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the residents of this country are not nearly as fortunate as yourself.

Whatever happened to critical thinking?

[losthills]

15. Here's sometthing we can all do.

Demand improvements in fuel economy:

http://www.lightbulbstoleadership.org/

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

16. I've been doing it in my old cars

I have real oldies (1973 Saab, 1957 DKW) with small engines and no power steering. These are light weight cars to begin with that get good gas mileage. I shut off the engine if I'm about 50 feet or less from the intersection and the light ahead has just turned red. In California, the light can stay red at certain heavy intersections for 2 minutes or even more. And with SUVs always ahead of me in line, they seem to take forever to pull away from a stop and I sometimes get trapped for two cycles of red lights where I don't want to idle for 4 minutes or more. And I've been easing the car away from a light or stop sign for quite awhile now, just because I don't want to put a needless strain on my old collectibles. I have yet to see other cars behind me not immediately jump on the gas pedal and rush around me, heading towards the next red light at 55mph.

[losthills]

17. Most people constantly have their feet bouncing

between the accelerator and the brakes. It's amazing how much gas you can save by just thinking about using your car's own momentum and feathering the brake and accelerator only as much as you absolutely have to.

And if you think about parking all the time-- how much gas do you waste backing out of parking spaces over the course of a week? I'm starting to look for parking spaces where I can always leave going forward.

[NNadir]

18. Almost all of the 250 million automobiles operating in the United States consume more power idling

than the average citizen of the planet consumes for all purposes.

There is no way to make the car culture good or acceptable.

[Kolesar]

20. I doubt that...eom

[Kolesar]

21. Tailgating trucks and flying blind into pedestrian crossings - no thanks