Thanks to a DUers comment, I have become a "hypermiler."

[DemoTex]

It can be done (indeed, should be done!) in any motor vehicle. It involves a few common-sense, Driver-Ed 101 tips ("anticipate the stale green light"). In my new Prius, I am now seeing MPGs near the EPA estimates (currently I'm averaging 57 mpg city and 53 mpg highway). Like another DU sage said (who was that?), "The Prius teaches you how to drive it most efficiently."

http://www.hypermiling.com/

[EFerrari]

1. You guys are going to have to explain this slowly and in little words.

I still try to just walk everywhere.

Anticipate the stale green? Does that mean accelerate or brake or?

[DesertRat]

5. Re: 'Stale' green light

I've been exploring the site and came across this explanation:

'Stale' green light (a light that has been green a long time & you suspect it may go yellow before too long.)

[EFerrari]

6. I get what a stale green is but I was taught to accelerate and get

through it. Is that wrong? I don't want to be a repeat offender. :)

[DesertRat]

11. Probably since you're supposed to minimize the time stopped at a light.

:shrug:

[DemoTex]

9. Depends if you are a Reno 911 fan (gun-it-and-run-it!).

No. Consider this: Traffic light a half block ahead is green, and has been green for a minute or two as you come down the hill toward it. The pedestrian crossing light for that direction had just gone from blinking amber to solid amber. Simply back off the gas. Coast. You will have to stop anyway.
In my Prius, in that scenario, I move the drive lever (drive-by-wire) to "B" .. engine braking .. and generate a little more regenerative current (charging the big drive battery) than brakes alone. Plan ahead, just like in a high-performance jet aircraft.

Or, GUN-IT-AND-RUN-IT!

[EFerrari]

23. I better stick to walking.

:rofl:

[Selatius]

2. I drive an aging 1995 camry, and it's rated at 20 city, 28 highway, at least on carpoint.com

I've long ago said that aggressive driving eats up gas, so I accelerate slowly. I turned off the overdrive feature on the car, which leaves me with just three gears instead of a fourth gear that comes with overdrive, so I usually drive 45 or slower in the city. Otherwise, my RPM gauge rapidly breaches 3000 RPMs as I approach 50.

I can now squeeze out approximately 30 miles per gallon in the city, something like 33 miles per gallon out there or a little higher on the interstates if I limit my speed to 70 or lower.

[frogcycle]

20. i drive a 14-year old continental

cast off by my mother-in-law - you know, the old story about "only driven buy a little old lady to go to church on sundays" except she's not little and doesn't go to church...

anyway, it has a digital gas mileage readout which aids greatly in seeing exactly what habits do what. No question, accelerating from a standstill is where most of the gas goes.

it gets about 22-23 mpg in commuting traffic - I haven't taken a long highway trip to see what it would get over a long period, but it cruises at about 29 mpg on level highway @55 mph. mileage does drop a point or two at higher speed, but not much.

no question about it, coasting to a light to avoid coming to a complete stop, then accelerating slowly saves. it will show 1 mpg for a hundred yards or so if accelerating from a standstill; but the 'rolling stop' technique can keep it above 10

interesting point here - I have a choice between an overcrowded expressway that slows to a crawl, and surface streets with periodic traffic lights. The expressway always wins on the mileage competition. You rarely come to a full stop, and when you do, you typically start moving very slowly when you do resume. MUCH better for fuel efficiency.

Lots of times if running on a slight downgrade or just taking foot off gas at highway speed it will show a mileage rate in the 50's, 60's

I occupy myself on my otherwise boring commute trying to see how high a mileage I can achieve for the drive. Best I have done is 23.4 for the 50 miles. That includes a couple of miles of 5 mpg at the start where I really suck it up. Driving up a hill from my house, several stop signs, etc. - takes a long time to bring the average up after that.

[DemoTex]

21. You are the ultimate hyper-miler, my friend. My hat is off to you!

Nothing like extracting blood from a turnip .. and you have. You are a poster-person for hypermiling! I would like to see Jimmy Carter's 55 MPH nation-wide speed limit reinstated. Stat!

Mac

[karlrschneider]

3. Heh heh...good on ya, Mac!

:D

[DemoTex]

10. Atoning for those R-3350-32WA days!

115/145 Purple Passion Punch. The Westinghouse auxillary jets drank that 115/145 brew too.

[karlrschneider]

15. Were those the same as the TC-18s? I dealt with a few R-4360s

56 spark plugs. Yikes.
:-)

[DemoTex]

18. What's a TC-18? What's a R-4360 (what's it on?)?

Damn, I feel stupid!

BTW: The R-3350 extracted 3350 horse power. Exactly 1 HP/cubic-inch displacement. That always amazed me.

[karlrschneider]

27. The TC18 was the Turbo Compound 18 cyl. Used on the Constellation

and a few other aircraft. The supercharger was just a 2-stage (high or low) and would blow jugs off the engine if it wasn't used properly. :scared: Oh, made by Wright...

The 4360 (P&W) was a 'corncob' 28 cyl engine, 4 rows of 7, staggered. We had those (4) on our C-97s in the ANG. It was pretty normal to have 3 or 4 jugs out of the 112 not working. Something to ponder halfway between Travis and
Hickam. ;-)

edit: I'm pretty sure the TC18 was just a regular 3350 fitted with the mechanical shifted turbocharger. But I've slept since then. ;-)

[DemoTex]

32. I always thought the Conny had R-3350s.

But I don't always know.

Mac

[karlrschneider]

35. I'm pretty sure the military version (C-??) had the std. 3350s

but I'm confident the civilian models used the TC18s. It's the same engine except for the turbos.

[DemoTex]

36. We had PRTs (Power-Recovery-Turbines), if I remember correctly.

But don't give me a type-ride oral on the P-2 now. I'd fail miserably.


Two turnin' .. two burnin'

[karlrschneider]

38. Isn't that just what they called turbochargers before they called them turbochargers?

Okay, my memory was fuzzy. You made me Google, you rat bastard! :D

Here look at this, it reconstituted a few of my neurons:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2731

[DemoTex]

41. That's the USAF -7 version. But I think the US Navy/Army -5s were basically the same.

Matter of fact: the only Lockheed P-2 Neptune shot down in Laos was a USAF bird. I flew the US Army version of the SP-2E, under the auspices of NATOPS (Navy standards). Mucho battle damage, but no crash-o!

[stevedeshazer]

4. Welcome

I'm too tired to elaborate tonight, but I know if every driver kept the principles of hypermiling in mind, it would be one more step toward energy independence.

[DesertRat]

7. This is interesting. thanks!

:kick:

[Longhorn]

8. It's hard not to beat the other cars off the line in my Mustang

but I think it's worth it. And frankly, I have nothing to prove. :) I've always been pretty good at letting up on the gas to slow me down as soon as I seen the need to stop.

[durrrty libby]

12. k

[DemoTex]

13. A few more points:

1. Coasting in neutral (N): frowned upon and illegal (I am told) in some states. But when I do it in the Prius the instantaneous mileage hits 99+. But I have other ways to hit 99+.

2. Enjoy the sweat. A/C robs MPG .. big time. I drive my Prius in town with all four windows open. I do need some sheepskin seat covers for the front seats. Mine are cloth and I sweat a lot. BTW: No sunroof on a Prius. The roof is aerodynamically designed with two laminar flow channels. Is area rule next?

3. Watch the UPS trucks. They shut down the motor every time they stop for a delivery. There is a reason for that. Prius shuts down at stops too.

[karlrschneider]

29. HAHA...if you can figure out a way to apply area rule to a car, you will be rich.

:D

[Rick Myers]

14. Damn good work, my friend!!!

We have been using Janet's 18 year old Honda CRX and getting about 40 mph since it's a 1500cc engine!!! But it runs like a little wild monkey!!!

It's FUN to drive, a little old 5-speed...

Props to you DTex!!!

Rick

[DemoTex]

16. The car to watch: Honda CR-V

The 2007 CR-V (it was on my short-list with the Mini-Cooper) gained 5 mpg over previous models with aerodynamic treatment alone. It looks great, and has the most versatile interior I have seen yet. If Honda puts a hybrid engine in the CR-V, it will blow Toyota's socks off. Likewise, if Toyota would downsize the Tacoma (to, say, 2005 model year sizes) and put their Synergy Drive hybrid in it, it would blow Detroit completely out of the water.

[karlrschneider]

17. That's a bit slow isn't it? hahaha

I still drive my old 1982 Civic CVCC/1.5 L for local trips & get about 40 mpg without extreme efforts. :D

I'd use it for longer trips except the suspension (camber) is out of whack and apparently isn't easily fixable.

[DemoTex]

19. And for the longer trips you have a Lockheed?

I remember that picture!

Mac

[karlrschneider]

25. Once upon a time...that old gal has been retired. Here's the pic

It had Wright 1650s though...:D

[DemoTex]

28. Jeebus! A real airplane! Lockheed LodeStar!

My company in Houston .. B-4 the airline (the Ken Lay days prior to Enron) .. had Lockheed LodeStars. They got rid of the Lockheeds for a few Merlins, and then a few Lear 25Bs and a Lockheed JetStar-1.

When I got there, the fleet was a JetStar-II, a JetStar-I, two Lear 25-Bs, a Falcon 20, and three Lear 55s (including the first, s/n 0004, N90E). I flew the LearJets and the JetStar-II.

Mac

[karlrschneider]

33. That Lodestar, N6012 was my first paying flying job. It previously belonged to LBJ

(I think I've told you this story) before he became presnit. I still have some left-behind items he left on it, some embossed drinking glasses, playing cards & towels..odds & ends. It was the only L18 I ever saw that had TWO bars built in. When I took it (illegally, by myself) up to Tulsa to get my type rating, I had been 'taught' by my old friend Gene Chase (he became a bigwig at EAA working with Paul and Tom Poberezny) to land it at 105 KIAS. The GADO man Walt McClain (another Mac who was a good friend...he loved to fly my PT22 as he had been a Ryan test pilot in the 40s) gave me the checkride and literally screamed at me for that approach speed. "Didn't you ever fucking do any STALLS???" he yelled. "No, not really" I said...so he made me do a bunch and taught me more in half an hour than I had learned in the previious 20 hours. I started making over-the-fences at 80 Kt and greased it on every time. When we swapped in the old girl for a Howard 500, I flew it when the sales guys brought it and when I set it down as gently as a hen sitting on her egg, the guy in the left seat said sarcastically "Of course you do that every time, huh?" I laughed my butt off. I still miss my old friend Walt. :D

edit: by the way --- when I first started on the Lodestar as co-pilot, the chief was Ford (Milford) Dickson. He was flying the G3 or G4 a few years ago that crashed in Houston on the way to pick up G.H.W. Bush, you might recall it. Another long sad story.

[DemoTex]

37. Great story, Karl. Git-Ur-Book-Goin'!

And I well remember the GulfStream crash at HOB. What happened there!?

[karlrschneider]

42. I should write a book. haha. Apparently they got the VOR and Localizer

freqs ass backward. I didn't even know about this until a few months ago. I mean I did know about the crash but never noticed the crew names until fairly recently and connected them up. I only flew as his co-pilot for a few months...he was looking for a better gig and as much as it pains me to say, I didn't think he was a very good pilot. I don't know how to properly explain that...maybe if I say I thought he was more of an airplane driver than a pilot you'll grasp what I'm getting at. I know it doesn't make any sense with the planes we fly nowadays but back then there really was, it seems to me, a genuine 'seat of the pants' kind of connection between pilot and plane. I've flown a few with no functioning instruments. Not kidding. Probably not a very smart thing, but it seems to have worked out. A few months ago, I ran into an old friend with a Luscombe 8E taildragger, he invited me to have a ride. I hadn't flown a single engine plane in 25 years and I don't think I ever looked at the ASI and landed it as soft as a baby's butt. But you know what, I was lucky as hell...I learned to fly at a little airport (Harvey Young in Tulsa) back when a guy like me would be offered a different plane every day to take up for a ride. I've flown well over 300 types; unfortunately those days are long gone.
:-)
edit: did a quick Google, found one short piece
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E2D9153EF936A15752C1A9629C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fA%2fAir%20Traffic%20Control

[salin]

22. Me, too.

Let the mpg gauge go for several fillups (I fill at half tank) and for a mix of highway and city driving I averaged 55.5 mpg. A year ago that was closer to 52mpg. I would agree that the car - or at least my response to it - has increased my driving efficiently.

[DemoTex]

24. Salin, aren't you the one that told me that the Prius would teach me? I think so.

It did. It does. It will. What a great invention.

Mac

[salin]

45. I don't recall, but wouldn't be surprised.

I started "learning" on my Mother's first generation Prius - and found I drove better in my 10 yr old 626. When it was time to replace - of course I went Prius - and have kept "learning" from it. :D

Glad that you are enjoying yours, as much as I am enjoying mine.

[Liberal In Texas]

26. Not far behind you.

Talked about it tonight.

The next car is either a Prius (or a clone) or pure eclectic.

I saw a brand new Prius on the road yesterday. It still had on the paper plates.
I was following in my SUV. They are pretty and nice cars. The driver was taking his time (I assume to make sure he was running on batteries...lol). I hovered in back of him long enough to drool.

I was envious. No more gus-guzzlers for us. We're buying smart next time.

[DemoTex]

31. Taking his time = hypermiling!

Good-4-U-2, LibInTexas. How are things in Dallas? I miss it .. sometimes!

Mac

[emilyg]

39. You won't be sorry

My daughter loves her Prius. I plan to make it my next car.

[bullwinkle428]

30. Yep...I've improved my mpg by about 2.5 since I started spending time

at cleanmpg.com! I have an '02 4-cylinder Honda Accord with a 5-speed, and have just done some simple things - boosted the tire air pressure about 8 PSI (although that's still 6 PSI below the max on the tire sidewall), shifting at lower revs (looked at owner's manual to make sure this was acceptable), anticipating light changes, cruising on the interstate at 70 mph max (speed limit here is 70 - you can't imagine how many vehicles pass me, including lots of semis), drafting at safe distances (may not net much, but I don't want to be a safety hazard).

I was averaging around 31.5 overall on a car with a 26 city/31 highway EPA rating, but am now right around 34 overall! If the car suddenly had to be replaced tomorrow, I wouldn't buy anything with less than 40 mpg given the current situation...

[DemoTex]

34. Bingo, bullwinkle428: Tire pressure.

Another critical variable in the hyper-miling formula! A Boeing 737 tire runs 220 PSI (no more, no less) of nitrogen. Tire pressure is THAT important! Hydroplaning speeds, for example, are predicted on square roots of tire pressures (hydroplaning speed is 10.27 times the square root of the tire pressure in PSI).

Mac

[bullwinkle428]

43. I work for a company involved in the production of truck tires (semis)

and they usually run at 110-120 psi; underinflated truck tires are the leading cause of failures that produce those ugly shredded tire carcasses you see along the shoulder every time you're driving the interstate!

I never really considered how critical tire pressures are on an aircraft, but just thinking about the mass and speed of the plane as it's approaching the runway makes you realize how important it has to be...

[CK_John]

40. Drive as if you have and egg between your shoe and gas pedal.Great for mpg. n/t

[Orsino]

44. The Prius teaches, if we will but listen.

The basic lesson is to slow the f--k down.

The next lesson is to press the accelerator only when you need to.

I'm not an expert, but my Prius taught me to get mileage consistently in the fifties, right in the EPA pocket.