Living Clean

Hypermiling, The Environment, and Your Wallet

- by Anna Stone 

LivingClean.com

Global warming and environmental issues are no longer the only reasons to lower our consumption of fossil fuels. Sky rocketing gas prices are becoming a real
threat to families and businesses all over America and put a serious economic urgency on the matter.

We could wryly look at this and admit that the situation at least raises our personal necessity to emit less earth-damaging fossil fuels.  But when the
situation is affecting one's personal life, business, or job, that thought doesn't help much.

There are many different ideas in the works and progress has been made on different fronts - alternative fuels, hybrids, talk of electric car, and methods of
converting one's car to burn water as gasoline. 

But there is another more immediate remedy which just about any driver can put into action on a right-now basis.  And this is "hypermiling."

What is hypermiling?

Hypermiling is a relatively new term which was coined at some point within the past few years.

Hypermiling consists of driving techniques, tweaks, tune-ups, other gas-saving tips, and even lifestyle changes that help you reduce your consumption of gasoline and get a much higher MPG (mileage per galleon of gas).

What does this mean for your budget?

Well, by using hypermiling techniqes you can dramatically reduce your fuel consumption by 25% to 40%.  And with gas prices now up to $4.00 per gallon or more (and expected to rise up to $6.00 per gallon), than can make a big difference in your expenditures on fuel.  People have been able to get up to 50 miles per gallon or more by using hypermiling techniques.

So, while cheap gas may be hard to come by, there are ways to improve gas mileage, and to make that gas last longer and take you further.

What does hypermiling consist of?

There are several aspects of hypermiling.  Mainly:

1.  Preparations to make before you even get in your car.

2.  How to start your car properly.

3.  Choosing the right times of day to drive in.

4.  How to handle your air conditioning and how to drive on hot days.

5.  Types of weather or traffic conditions to avoid when you are driving.

6.  Where and how to park your car

7.  How fast you should drive for maximum fuel efficiency

8.  How to properly brake and accelerate your car

9.  How to properly position items such as bicycle racks on your vehicle

10. Which part of the highway to drive on

11. Lifestyle changes which will help you save money on gas.

Hypermiling and Driving Safely

Some drivers have been known to engage in unsafe and stupid practices and call it "hypermiling."  This includes idiocies such as tailgating large trucks and other illegal practices which put you, your car, and other people in danger.  You should never engage in unsafe driving practices for the sake of saving a few pennies or a few dollars on gasoline.  A bit of money saved is poor compensation for the loss of a loved one.

But there are many hypermiling techniques which are not only safe driving practices, but in many cases are safer driving practices than usual.

The best thing about hypermiling is that it is something anyone can learn quickly and instantly apply.  By learning a few hypermiling techniques you can start to save money the next time you drive.  You don't have to wait till you have a hybrid or until you have converted your car to run on water.  You can start saving money right now.

Hypermiling techniques are also good for the environment as they reduce fuel consumption.

An E-Book which will teach you all the important techniques of hypermiling, as well as other gas-saving tips, can be found at Hypermiling and Other Gas Saving Secrets.

You can also see videos of hypermiling in action, as well as hypermiling on the news, at What is Hypermiling.