Hypermiling

In these days of skyrocketing fuel costs, we’re sure you’re doing everything possible to keep your gas bills at a minimum. “Everything possible” takes on any entirely different meaning for a growing group of people calling themselves “hypermilers”. No, it’s not an affectionate moniker for drivers with ADD. These dedicated, fuel economy-conscious drivers alter their driving habits to achieve gas mileage far beyond the EPA’s estimates for their cars.

The practice involves well-known methods like coasting down hills or slowly accelerating from a stop, but hypermilers go to far more radical ends to decrease their fuel consumption. True hypermilers may use over 100 different driving techniques to improve their mpgs.

“The first thing you should do is to slow down,” says Gary Thaller from Pueblo, Colorado. “Smooth out your driving in all respects by slowly accelerating, timing the lights so you reduce the times you come to a stop and ridge running, where you drive along the painted lines in order to avoid the bumps in the road. You can also shut the engine off at lights and coast on hills, maintaining greater and safer distances between cars.”

Hypermiling in America dates back to gas rationing times during World War II, when you were required to drive at a maximum speed of 35 mph and were given just enough fuel to get to and from work, thus encouraging drivers to save on gas in order to take that extra car trip on the weekend. The new breed of hypermilers is motivated by the cost of fuel, increasing awareness of environmental issues and political reasons, including worry over America’s dependence on foreign oil supplies, an issue embraced by both the left and the right.

A recent study by AAA finds that, largely due to escalating fuel costs, the average annual cost of driving is up almost $300 from last year. With the average at $8,100 per year – a number that won’t be decreasing any time soon – hypermiling methods might look welcoming to some of you.

Thaller decided to start hypermiling “initially to improve my mileage on my scooter and then I switched to the car.” But he keeps at it “because it’s fun!”

Dedication can border on obsession, with hypermilers competing with themselves or others to get the best mileage possible and using aftermarket scanners to measure their real-time mpg.

Says Kirk MacTavish from Ontario, Canada, “That’s the beauty of hypermiling, not only is it fun to compete with yourself and others, but you save money in the process. It is definitely addicting once you start trying out new techniques and tracking your mileage.”

In Wisconsin, a yearly event called Hybridfest hosts an mpg challenge, where hybrid owners, with cars usually modified to hypermiling extremes, navigate a 26-mile course and attempt to achieve the largest mileage increase over the EPA estimates. To put this incredible practice into perspective, 2007’s winner managed 168 mpg in a 2005 Honda Insight, a car that the EPA estimated would get 52 mpg.

Relax, Escalade owners, hypermiling doesn’t necessarily involve hybrid cars. Regular cars work just as well, and you can even hypermile in an SUV or truck. The vehicle ends up being far less important than the driver. MacTavish has achieved 56 mpg in his 2001 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

Hypermiling can result in some unsafe driving tactics if people aren’t responsible. Most hypermilers shun others who bend the law to get better fuel economy. Drafting is one of the more controversial techniques and not one we’d recommend. While drafting behind semis does reduce fuel consumption, it means riding in the blind spots of vehicles whose mass will crumple the too-close-for-comfort hypermiler in the event of emergency braking or quick lane changes.

Shifting to neutral or even turning your car off while coasting to a stop is another way to create a dangerous situation. With the engine in neutral you have no control over your driving and emergency maneuvers, such as swerving to avoid a car or getting out of a fire truck’s way, will be impossible.  

Use common sense as a rule of thumb when trying out some of the new techniques, especially when buying an entirely new car to replace the totaled one might slightly overshadow any fuel savings you may have incurred.

Whatever your reasons for trying out hypermiling – maybe you’re just really bored – we say give it a shot, even if your car isn’t a car at all, but a massive Ford F-150 instead. It may feel strange at first since you’ll be dramatically changing the way you’ve been driving since you were 16, but you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and having a little fun in the process. Nothing beats rush hour like a game that keeps you occupied and does something positive for the environment at the same time.  

Here are both moderate tactics and ones that are more extreme, with a not-so-subtle disclaimer that the hardcore tricks can be uncomfortable for occupants and potentially hazardous to your safety.

Tires
Basic: Inflate your tires to the maximum psi recommended. This reduces rolling resistance, improving gas mileage. If you’re in the market for new tires, look for ones with lower rolling resistance (LRR). Don’t forget to get them rotated and balanced when you take your car in to the shop to make sure the tires are wearing evenly.
Hardcore: Many hypermilers overinflate their tires a couple psi, something that can be dangerous, especially on older tires.

Mass
Basic: Loose some weight, in your car. Take out everything you really don’t need, like that extra umbrella for when in rains in July and the roof rack that you haven’t used in months.
Hardcore: Passengers? They can walk. Take out all seats except for the driver’s. Don’t forget to lose the spare tire and jack. That’s what AAA is for.

Acceleration
Basic: Remember when you were learning to drive? The instructor (hopefully) taught you to slowly accelerate from a stop with a steady, fluid movement. Pick up those teachings again and forgo jerky starts. If you pay attention to how you currently drive, you may realize you’re using more gas than you need. Use cruise control, a system that keeps your acceleration as steady as a surgeon’s hand, as much as possible.
Hardcore: Park downward facing hills in parking lots or on the street to get a rolling start in neutral instead of needing to use the gas.

Cooling
Basic: Turn off your air conditioning and roll up the windows. Air conditioning uses engine power and the windows up minimizes wind resistance.
Hardcore: Isn’t the above hardcore enough? Wait until the dead of summer if you don’t believe us.

Coasting and Braking
Basic: Coast to a stop with as little braking as possible and go slow enough around corners that you don’t need to brake. Coast down hills by laying off the brakes and gas, and push in the clutch if you’re driving a manual.
Hardcore: Never brake at all by coasting to complete stops. Keep (sometimes high) speed around corners in order to maintain coasting out of the turn.

Pulse and Glide
Basic: If you feel like bugging the people driving behind you, try this technique: Accelerate slowly up to the maximum speed limit, then let the car glide until it slows about 10 mph. When you put it in drive again, “pulse” the accelerator back up to the speed limit.  
Hardcore: While gliding, put the car into neutral and wait until you hit a low speed of about 15 mph under the speed limit. Shifting into neutral increases fuel efficiency, but means you don’t have complete control of your vehicle, which is dangerous and illegal in some states.