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Hypermiling techniques
Hypermiling techniques is a term credited to Wayne Gerdes who lives in Wadsworth Illinois and achieved 59 mpg from a Honda rated at 25. This term is defined as a method of driving that will squeeze the most miles per gallon in fuel economy from any vehicle. The goal is for drivers to meet or exceed the mileage ratings of their vehicle without breaking the law or endangering themselves or other drivers. If the driver happens to own a hybrid, then the challenge is to exceed the EPA ratings for that vehicle with smart driving tactics. Either way, it’s a game that you can win by saving at the pump. Before you can improve gas mileage, you have to know what your current miles per gallon are. If you have a new car, then you can find that information on the sticker. Even so, you need to test the mileage both in the city and on the highway as these differ for every vehicle. Calculating fuel economyThe next step is to drive the vehicle the way you would normally for a few days and then refill the tank as stated above and record the exact amount of gallons installed. Next you write the mileage down above the mileage that you originally recorded and subtract. This will give you the miles traveled and you can check this against your trip odometer. The final step is to divide the number of miles you went by the number of gallons you just filled up with. This will give you a very accurate mpg figure. Basically the formula is number of miles driven divided by the number of gallons at second fill up. Personally I purchased the scan gage pictured above that plugs into your vehicles diagnostic connector and provides both instant and average fuel economy. This motivates me to keep my foot off the gas and shows me when my hypermiling techniques are most effective instantly. Hypermiling techniques continuedAny motivated driver can learn basic hypermiling techniques. Even learning a few basics can improve the mileage for almost any vehicle. Beginners to hypermiling can start by not being too heavy footed on the accelerator. Avoid racing to the stoplight and let the car glide to a stop. It takes less power to stop from lower speeds than to suddenly hit the brake, plus this means less wear on your tires. Use the cruise control, even in town. This isn’t just for highway driving, it’s also the way to drive a consistent speed and avoid traffic tickets. If you have enough distance, you can take off the cruise control and let the car decelerate toward the stoplight. Aggressive drivers press their brakes three to four times more frequently than calm drivers. When traffic flow slows, hypermilers drop down to the lower speed knowing that moving consistently, even though it’s slower, is really the fastest and most fuel efficient way to move thought the traffic jam and get to work without a stress headache.
The best hypermilers are attentive to their driving. They’re thinking of ways to drive that makes the most of every gallon of gas. Whether they’re hypermiling because of sticker shock at the pump or because it’s a personal challenge, the reward is worth the effort. We all win when each person does something to conserve energy.I am new to hyper miling and this is just one technique I am using to improve my fuel economy and reduce my monthly gas bills. I am also testing the water2gas system and a fuel heater. These cutting edge tactics have already made a great improvement on my gas guzzling 4.3 liter v6. The only product I know of to supply all this information in one place including the water2gas book and fuel economy resources is the 2008 gas saver guide website.
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