Hypermiling: how to increase your MPG without buying a new car

[thewayne]

The key is changing your driving habits. When we went to Phoenix for Memorial Day Weekend, we did the Las Cruces -> Phoenix leg at around 65 MPG and got 36-36 MPG over 400 miles and still got there in about 7 hours. I've occasionally coasted down from Cloudcroft to Alamogordo with the car in neutral but the engine still on, but not enough to notice a change in MPG. If I ever get to move back there, it would be an interesting experiment to run over a couple of tanks. It wouldn't work as well going to or from the observatory.

One example in the first article: "Fulton routinely gets 55 mpg from his 1997 Toyota Paseo, a car the EPA rates at 29 mpg."

http://www.wired.com/cars/energy/news/2008/06/hypermilers09

http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_More_Than_40_Miles_Per_Gallon_Without_a_Hybrid

Comments

[deborak]

Going the speed limit is good advice, as is not stomping the brakes then accelerating in traffic jams. But I hope that cheapass dimwits don't start drafting behind semis or turning off their engines to coast because that shit is going to get people killed.

I swear, most of the dolts who complain about $4 a gallon gas are the same people who spend $2 - $3 for a small Starbucks coffee or a Red Bull.

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

I try to smooth out traffic jams by maintaining an average speed. If everybody did that, the jam would smooth out faster, but most people have to fill the gap as soon as they see it.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

Apparently the slipstream from a semi extends some distance, but I don't know how far. The mother of a friend of mine had a car that had instant MPG display, while going to Tucson they crept up closer to a semi and the increase in MPG was significant. I'm curious if it increases drag on the truck, I'm sure it does, I wonder how much.

Total agreement about people who turn their car off. No power steering or brakes is very nutso. I, too, try to maintain an average speed in traffic, and there's no limit to the peole who try to exploit the gap that you try to maintain. Never-ending battle.

[quasar273.livejournal.com]

Interesting stuff. I'd like to see some info on the relative gas costs of AC (I know that's a lot but we really need it in this part of the world -- does it help to turn it on and off as needed?), daytime running lights (I hate those but I'm prejudiced), radio (probably negligible?), etc.

I think driving close behind semis with the engine on still saves some gas and is a teeny bit less dangerous. I've tried that but it required such an intense level of concentration that I couldn't keep it up for long enough to measure the MPG change (I don't have one of those instantaneous gauges). You can definitely feel the wind buffeting; I think you need to be within a couple of car lengths behind the semi, depending on speed. Thus the required concentration and resulting hand cramps.

In traffic jams, if there are only two lanes going it sometimes works to get up beside a semi in the other lane. Then you can both do a nice slow crawl and let a buffer space open in front of you, and nobody will be able to dart into the gap.

I am also amused that this link was posted by the same guy who let air out of my tires because they were 20% overpressure compared to the car maker's recommendations, even though they were still well below the maximum on the sidewalls. Hmmph!