Red Allen
Know The Best Hypermiling Hybrid Tactics
Hypermiling hybrid drivers were the first motorists to be truly concerned with how much fuel they were using, how much money they were spending and how their attitudes behind the wheel were affecting their lives. This group of drivers meticulously plan their driving routes, keep their vehicles well-maintained, inflate their tires, driver slower, coast in neutral and use their brakes minimally. While most motorists can only hope to get 42 MPG, hybrid cars are capable of getting up to 100 MPG, making hypermiling driving techniques a bit of an art form.
Serious hybrid owner Jim Kelly of Richmond, Virginia got his Toyota Prius up to 78 miles per gallon, which is considerably higher than the EPA rating of 48 for city and 45 for highway. He says he uses techniques like “pulse and glide” — where he accelerates and coasts for as long as possible before accelerating again. He parks his car facing outward to avoid shifting from reverse to drive, and avoids making left turns whenever possible, so he won’t have to stop and wait for the oncoming traffic to pass. “Stoplights don’t bother me so much, because as I learn my routes and know the lights, if I do it right I may never hit a red light,” Kelly adds. He doesn’t mind being stuck behind slow-moving cargo trucks because it allows him to burn even less fuel by traveling 20 on a 55 mph road.
No one knows hypermiling hybrid tactics better than Clean MPG website founder Wayne Gerdes, who has won multiple awards for his hypermiling excellence. He once took his Honda Insight hybrid on a 40-mile journey and reached an unthinkable 200 miles per gallon fuel economy. Similarly, he took his Prius on a 30-mile trip and reached 127 MPG. Even his 2005 Honda Accord reached 66 MPG and his 2003 Ford Ranger pickup got 85 MPG, even though gasoline mileage was an afterthought during the production of these vehicles! “A top-rated hypermiler will shave about half off the gas bill of a non-hypermiler in the same vehicle,” Gerdes explains. He recommends using a Scan Gauge to calculate instant MPG ratings, let drivers know how much a certain trip has cost them in gas and provide video-game-like feedback so drivers can score their personal bests.
Wayne Gerdes, the hypermiling hybrid expert, currently holds the world record for getting 2,250 miles from a single tank (164 MPG). He drove 800 miles from Chicago to New York in his hybrid Toyota Prius in 17 hours and still had a quarter tank of gas left over when he reached his destination. Whether you’re driving a hybrid or an old gas guzzler, the experts say the first step to getting better gas mileage is to be aware. Hybrids come with automatic MPG calculators, but regular drivers can buy one for $170 (www.scangauge.com), which will show them in real-time just what a difference their driving habits can make. We can complain all day long that our cars “aren’t built efficiently.” Or we can accept our role in fuel consumption and do something about it.
Beth Kaminski is the leading expert in the field of treatment for anxiety attacks and cure panic attack cures. For more information on tips to stop these attacks as well as how to deal with panic attacks, visit her site today.
Wild Man Blues Henry Red Allen
