green | rising

A Mild Case of Hypermiling

July 23rd, 2007 by Vihar Sheth | Posted in Energy, Green, Transportation

There’s a name for it! This morning’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a great article on something that’s been termed “hypermiling”. Essentially, it’s the act of driving very efficiently. While buying a greener automobile is ideal, a considerable amount of increase in mileage per gallon can be gained by driving an average car efficiently. I just thought I was crazy before I read this but realized my hypermiling affliction is mild at best. Some tips from the article:

• Planning - Look for downhill routes, and avoid driving during peak traffic hours.
• Parking - Park so you can pull forward out of the space, avoiding backing out first. Look for a spot on an incline so you can coast out of the space.
• Maintenance - Make sure the car’s filters are clean, and use synthetic motor oil.
• Buffers - The more space between you and the car in front of you, the less breaking and accelerating you’ll have to do in traffic jams.

Habits to Avoid:

• Here are some factors that hurt mileage, according to the Department of Energy. Other information is on the agency’s website, www.fueleconomy.gov.
• Quick acceleration and heavy braking. They can reduce fuel economy by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town.
• Excessive idling.
• Driving at higher speeds. This increases wind resistance. As a rule of thumb, assume that each 5 mph driven above 60 mph is like paying an extra 20 cents per gallon of gas.
• Cold weather and frequent short trips. Engines don’t operate efficiently until they’re warmed up. Letting the car idle to warm up, however, doesn’t help either.
• Excess weight. An extra 100 pounds in the vehicle could reduce fuel efficiency by up to 2 percent.

Habits to Develop:

• Here’s advice from hypermiler Wayne Gerdes, who gets better mileage in his Corolla than some drivers get in their hybrids.
• Inflate tires to the maximum called for by the manufacturer. “You get better traction, better handling, better fuel economy, better wear,” he said.
• Make sure the air filter is clean. A dirty filter can cut mileage by more than 10 percent.
• Keep the load on the engine consistent. When driving uphill, for instance, don’t change your foot’s pressure on the gas pedal.
• Create buffers. The more space between you and the car in front of you, the less braking and accelerating you’ll have to do in traffic jams.

The efficiencies that can be gained from doing things like cleaning your car’s air filter or not accelerating or braking quickly are mind boggling.  I tend to coast down hills and pop the car into neutral when I can. Unfortunately I’m still a little heavy on the pedals, but will try to be more conscience about the way I drive.

The broader message to take away from an article like this, which is great because it’s practical and gives actionable items to people, is that while innovation will help reduce humankind’s impact on earth, humankind itself needs to change the way it does things. We need new habits. Some people argue that a line needs to be drawn, and that we must not infringe on our “creature comforts”. There’s some validity to the argument, but I find it hard to justify not making certain sacrifices because I’m used to the shortsightedness upon which the actions were developed. Tradition is absolute worst reason to do anything, but also the easiest justification for not rationally examining a situation.

The article also details a hypermiling competition, in which Wayne Gerdes, of Wadsworth, Illinois “placed second in his division in Hybridfest’s MPG Challenge in Madison, Wis. Contestants drove a 26-mile course through the city in regular traffic conditions. Gerdes averaged 145 miles per gallon in an Insight. William Kinney of Kennewick, Wash., won, averaging 168 miles per gallon in an Insight — 223 percent over EPA estimates, an event spokesman said.”

Long live the hypermilers!