Hypermiling 101

June 20, 2008

gas pump It would be great if everyone could go out and buy the most fuel efficient car they could find. Everyone would cut their carbon footprint and carbon emissions everywhere would drop. Unfortunately, most of us cannot afford to simply go and buy a new car, or even a used one for that matter. But you can still cut your carbon footprint by driving more efficiently, of Hypermiling – getting the best mileage out of your car.

Hypermiling goes far beyond the basics of fuel efficient driving concepts like tire pressure and emptying your trunk, of which more can be found in our Cars section. Hypermiling is about the multitude of behaviors of the driver that result in their ‘driving style’. So lets begin changing your driving style and cutting your carbon footprint.

First, you need to get in the habit of monitoring your fuel efficiency. Each time you fill up a new tank of gas, set your odometer to zero and see how many miles you can get. Soon you’ll find yourself trying to beat your ‘best score’.

Here is our list of 17 ways help you in your quest for better mileage:

When possible, drive on routes that are sheltered from the wind
Avoid bus lanes that result in a lot of extra starting and stopping
Use a down hill to your advantage – coast as much as you can to gain momentum and avoid braking as much as possible
Road works tearing up the road? Drive in the lane with the smoothest surface as it gives the least resistance
Slow down early when approaching a red light. If the light changes this could save you from stopping completely
Avoid using cruise control. It will throttle a lot to keep you at a constant speed
During highway driving, try to throttle consistently. Your overall speed will fluctuate a bit but will even out over time
Coast to your stops as much as possible to avoid unnecessary braking
If you are coming to a stop at the bottom of a hill, stop a bit early so you have some momentum when you do reach the hill
Stuck in stop-start traffic? Leave some extra space and move for longer distances instead of lots of little stops and starts. Some drivers will cut in front of you, but you have a smaller carbon footprint and a cleaner conscience
Don’t start your car until the way is clear or you when end up idling unnecessarily
Avoid parallel parking because of all the back and forth of getting into the spot – and because it’s a pain!
If you can’t find a parking spot that you can drive through, then reverse into the spot. Your car is more efficient when it has warmed up so better to do the extra driving then instead of when you are leaving.
If you are driving a manual car, cruise at the highest gear possible
If you are driving an automatic car and you are at a red light, switch into neutral
In the winter, clean off all the ice before starting instead of using the defrost
On a cold day let the engine warm up before you turn on the heat

This list will get you started on cutting your carbon footprint and improving your mileage. If you have any more methods for hypermiling please add them in the comments section.

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