Four dollars can buy a lot. It can get you a fancy iced coffee, half a matinee movie ticket, or four items at the dollar store (behold the wonder of a journalist doing math!). What it can’t get you—at least in the D.C. area—is even a single gallon of gasoline.
Americans everywhere are feeling the numbers crunch when it comes to their cars, and those who can’t walk or bike are coming up with some pretty interesting solutions—everything from taking summer staycations to running vehicles on vegetable oil. But some of the less dramatic of us might want to consider one of the country’s fastest-growing trends, a phenomenon known as hypermiling.
In its most basic sense, hypermiling means driving strategically to increase gas mileage (technically, it's defined as exceeding the EPA fuel economy rating for your vehicle). In a recent Washington Post article, Nancy Trejos tells us how this can be done: by traveling at or just below the speed limit, accelerating gently (some advocate a “feather light” touch), and coasting to a stop at lights and stop signs. Techniques such as these often get hypermilers 10 to 20 percent more miles to the gallon, although some hypermilers have taken it to the extreme: This group of men drove their Toyota Prius a total of 1,397 miles (2,248 kilometers) on just under 13 gallons of gas, for a grand average of 110 mpg (Okay, I’ll admit that this time, I pulled the statistic straight from the news story—no actual math involved).
It’s not all smooth sailing (or downhill coasting), however: Hypermiling has come under the attack of critics who say it promotes dangerous practices, such as turning off the engine at stop lights—even at busy intersections—and tailing tractor-trailers closely on interstates to take advantage of the lack of wind resistance. And when hypermilers travel too far below the speed limit, the result is not only dangerous, but also frustrating to other drivers on the road.
IT’s verdict: Conserving gas is important, but drivers should definitely put the brakes on any reckless driving. In the end, safe hypermiling comes down to driving smarter to save money and energy. And that’s something we can all grab the wheel and get behind.
Photo by Wolfgang Staudt, via Flickr photo pool
I am amazed at the mileage people can get by just changing their driving habits ever so slightly. I do agree that it can be extremely dangerous (and possibly just uncomfortable-- such as wearing an "ice vest" instead of turning on the AC).
We recently wrote a post with 450+ tips about hypermiling (and picked our favorite and most reasonable). http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-transportation/the-extreme-hypermiling-guide-450-tips-to-increase-your-miles-per-gallon-and-save-gas/
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 08, 2008 at 04:46 PM
We're on a long road trip for a move now and we decided this time we'd try the traveling-at-60 model (vs. 65-70, the speed limit) to see how we fared.
Happy to say that we've definitely noticed a difference, though motorists behind us weren't convinced it was worth it.
Posted by: Tee Poole | July 09, 2008 at 02:39 AM
Yes, I would have to agree with Tee Poole that everyone behind me isn't always happy. But even before I started hypermiling as a total approach to driving, I wondered why it was important to zip up to stop at the red light. Maybe it was a bit of peer pressure, but I would slow down slightly and ease ahead, but not lag too far behind. Now I take my foot off the accelerator as soon as the light turns red. Let them zip around me and waste their gas if they choose. I hope more people start to get it and think about the safety concerns caused by being in such a rush.
Posted by: Nikkole | July 11, 2008 at 01:20 AM