With gas prices on the rise, drivers are paying more than ever at the pump. This April, gas prices have pushed to a national average of $3.50 per gallon. In San Francisco, where gas is notoriously expensive, you can expect to pay up to-and sometimes over-$4.00 per gallon! Now instead of paying an arm and a leg to use our vehicles, it is time to get creative and use our resources wisely.
Unfortunately, we cannot all drive a biodiesel or hybrid car. Furthermore, we do not all have the option to bike or commute by public transportation to work. So what is the alternative for everyone else that relies on their vehicles and is hostage to these ridiculous gas prices? A new wave of drivers has the secret: hypermiling.
What exactly is hypermiling? It is a method of increasing your car’s gas mileage by making skillful changes to the way you drive, allowing you to dramatically increase your MPG and thereby have an easier time withstanding the rising oil and gas prices. Hypermiling is all about making adjustments to your driving habits to minimize the work your engine does and maximize your gas mileage. The best part about hypermiling is that many of these techniques work whether you’re driving a hybrid or a Hummer.
In addition to saving you money at the pump, hypermiling reduces the amount of CO2 and other pollutants emitted when gasoline is combusted. So, not only does hypermiling save you some cash at the pump, but it helps you do your part to protect the environment!
According to Hypermiling.com, the basic techniques of hypermiling can be simplified in six steps:
1) Start recording you gas mileage.
2) Become aware of how you drive. Minimize aggressive behaviors (braking most importantly), leave at least 2 seconds of room between you and the car ahead.
3) Minimize the time you spend with your car idle. Take your foot of the accelerator as soon as you see brake lights.
4) Save gas in traffic jams by coasting. Minimize use of brake and idling.
5) Accelerate slowly. After you take your foot off the brake, apply to gas slower than usual.
6) Use cruise control! Try using cruise control to accelerate and decelerate as well.
These six steps are a great way to get started, however, they are a simplification of some of the more advanced techniques implemented by hypermilers. For a more advanced set of hypermiling techniques, check out this website.
To see the actual benefits of hypermiling, let’s take a look at the most famous hypermiler, the king of hyermiling, Wayne Gerdes. Wayne claims to get 59 MPG in a Honda Accord and 30 MPG in an Acura MDX. These values far exceed the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated fuel efficiency, and all he did to achieve this was fine-tune his driving habits. To read more about Wayne Gerdes and his hypermiling techniques, check out this website.
Hypermiling began decades ago, when drivers began to notice that by using certain driving techniques, they could greatly improve their fuel efficiency. With the aid of real time mileage displays, drivers were able to refine these driving techniques and greatly exceed the EPA rating for their vehicle. Decades before the word ‘hypermiler’ was used, many of these techniques were implemented when gas was being rationed during World War II. The results provided by hypermiling are outstanding, and you can start doing it today, in the car you are already driving!
