We’ve got this Green.MSN.com website.
So let’s do something with it! I hear this hypermiling thing is big.
It sure is. What is it?
No idea. Some crap about getting great mileage without having a hybrid.
“When you first start hypermiling, I find, you really wish you had someone to ride along with you to show you the ropes. Sadly, that’s not yet an option for most people. Until then, we can learn from some of the best.” Rather than suggest you not play with fire (like turning off your car while coasting, thus killing your power brakes), MSN asks self-confessed “efficiency nerd” Darin Cosgrove some broad questions and calls it good. I repeat: the article does not contain a single tip (although you now know to avoid Darin Cosgrove at parties). Not only is the article useless, but it is part of the irresponsible practice of telling people they should do something dangerous without even understanding it completely, or having someone “show them the ropes.”
I can’t stand that new H-word that’s kicking around lately. Why can’t we just use the old description: “DRIVE LIKE A GRANDMA.”
“How did you save that extra 3/10 of a gallon Bob?”
“I drive like a grandma.”
See? Everyone understands!
Whatevs. Just don’t hold up traffic and keep it out of the passing lane.
Actually, truth be told? I only have to “drive like a grandma” in my wife’s Sonata in order to squeek an extra 1/2 MPG out of it (so – I don’t bother, up until the point where gas was $4.25 a gallon, then I did).
It’s quite the opposite with my Prius. I’m leaving all the “Konventional” klunkers behind at the stop lights (assuming I’m first in line).
The theory (and it seems to work in practice – over almost 63,000 miles in two Prius’s – Prii?) –
– no point in accelerating agonizingly slowly while watching the MPG meter read <15 mpg.
May as well fairly “zip” right up to the desired speed (MPG meter reading <12 mpg) then back off and have it read 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, heck even 99 mpg.
Limit the time of low MPG and increase the time at HIGH mpg.
I even use WOT (wide open throttle for those of you who don’t know it – now you do) when necessary to REALLY limit the time accelerating. (Hey, sometimes there’s only a certain amount of room to get out on 2 lane roads and no, I DON’T want to give any Michigan a-hole any additional excuses to tailgate me, so I don’t make them slow down – except to the speed limit – when I have to get out into traffic ahead of them).
Of course, being in Michigan, I’m regularly tailgated in any car I drive, even if I happen to be going 10 over. 15 over. 5 over. 5 under. The speed limit. Whether I’m in the Sonata or the Prius. Makes no difference.
I’m surrounded by infantile imbeciles… yes, I know it’s much the same in most of the USA and Canada too.
Detroit area I-696. I’ve seen a lady driving an old Escort at about 40mph. To the unfamiliar, we all drive about 80mph on that stretch (it’s called the Detroit Autobahn for a reason). She had a big sign in the back window that said something like “Trying to Save Gas – Please Pass.”
This was a few weeks ago. I wonder if she’s been rear-ended by now.
Thanks, Darin!
So, what can one learn from Darin?
I learned Darin has a highly modified Pontiac Metro that got super mpg’s a couple times, and he founded a Metro website.
If you really want good mileage, find yourself a car that’s pretty good to begin with and start to optimize your driving. Soon enough, people will be coming to you asking for interviews!
If I buy a Metro, I won’t be putting my name out there. Maybe if I wax my car, some blogger will interview me about what it’s like being someone who waxes a car very well.
There is a Youtube video of a topgear episode with Clarkson trying to drive 600 miles (?) in an Audi A8 Diesel on one tank. Actually pretty entertaining. Can’t post a link to it since I am at work on my lunch break.
Also there was a great episode of Myth Busters where they checked out how much your mpg would improve trailing an 18 wheeler. Also an episode about what was more efficient, driving with the windows down or AC on.
Nothing has changed in Michigan, apparently. I lived in the Detroit area in the mid 70’s (oil embargo time) and frequently saw CB-equipped jerks using both shoulders on the Interstates when traffic was heavy. Nothing made me smile more than seeing a jacked-up pickup with light bar upside-down in the median, wheels still turning after a bad pass. One such moron got upset at me for daring to enter the highway 1/4 mile ahead of his F150 in my ’74 Toyota SR5 Corolla ( whopping 67 hp). He angrily tailgated me at up to 90 mph before I got him trapped behind slower traffic that I was able to sneak between. His engine was already like his temper — boiling. I’d like to have seen his engine blow, but that would have taken a few more minutes.
“I happen to live in an area where a good portion of my driving can be done on lightly traveled rural highways. You need light traffic to get away with widely varying speeds (and a low average speed).”
What happens when some suburban would-be hypermiling teenager tries this trick in his/her parent’s Tahoe or Explorer? You try steering or stopping a 2+ton truck without power assist.
GreenMSN is promoting some pretty dangerous (and illegal) behavior without so much as a disclaimer.
I’m all for owning an efficient car, and then driving the hell out of it (this goes back to the slow car fast or fast car fast question of the day).
Hypermiling people, on the other hand, need to take public transportation or buy a bike.
If the only joy a person gets from driving is driving like a horrible asshole to save trivial amounts of gas then that person should save a lot of gas by not driving.
Also, anyone that turns off their engine while their car is in motion needs to loose their license.
Hypermiling is highly overrated and can be dangerous. Spending money on a vehicle (as the guy in the article did) to save a little gas seems to defeat the point. IMHO most people would be better off simply dropping their cars if they have public transport available.
Car Payment + insurance + gas + tires + oil changes + air filters + all other consumables, even on a cheap car, I’d wager is more than an unlimited use bus/train pass. The busses & trains even allow you to bring a bicycle on so if it doesn’t stop near your house/final destination you can get there fairly quickly.
If you don’t like public transport, I think you are STILL better off spending $2k-$3k and getting a scooter that legitimately (without pissing off every person around you) gets 100+ mpg.
I was doing some calculations the other day, and if I swapped motorcycles (I get 35mpg city or so on my 600cc) to a 65mpg 400cc dual sport I’d save a whopping $14/month. Seriously. How is that cost effective? That is assuming I drove both year round, in the snow, rain, etc. And that is NOT taking into effect the additional cost of the new vehicle, insurance, and consumables on top of my current motorcycle.
hypermiling, IMHO should be discouraged.
I suppose if people could do math here, the country wouldn’t be bankrupt.
Pulse and glide, and turn off the engine at stoplights actually works quite well in urban areas. Provided there isn’t anyone behind you who can’t get around you. I can get in the 30s like this in the city in my Accord. But I’m not about to make a habit of it.
Need to correct a fallacy here: Driving your Prius WOT is a sure way to get the WORST mileage out of it. It’s always going to take more energy to accelerate quickly than slowly when covering the same distance. The hybrid drivetrain just has a nice way of recovering and reusing kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as brake heat when you slow down. But that kinetic energy had to come from the burning of fossil fuel in the first place, right?
Top Gear (not the greenest of shows) put a Prius and an M3 on the same track where the Prius would go all out and the M3 just had to follow. The result? The M3 got better mileage. Of course these results are utterly meaningless in the real world since driving as fast as you can in any car is unrealistic and you have to use brakes every now and then.
Hyperloser.
Well, I just got through a weekend of hypomiling. The better half and I took the ’63 Polara (383/4brl/Torqueflite) on a 300 mile weekend jaunt up the Mississippi to check out the Autumn leaves. Two lane up, Interstate back. Got 13.2 mpg.
TAKE THAT!!!!!!!!!
iganpo:
Many years ago, BMW demonstrated that an Otto cycle engine is most efficient at WOT and low rpm. The reason is low pumping losses and low internal friction.
Since the Prius transmission is an automatic, the driver can’t keep it from downshifting at WOT. Also, if you have a really light foot and don’t try to go too fast, you can stay on the battery for a while.
I’ve taken to popping my 5-speed Elantra into neutral on occasion (mild downhill grades), and it makes a difference, as (like many modern 5-speed/4cyl cars) even in 5th, there’s a good bit of engine braking that requires a light throttle (which is using that precious juice).
But the engine is still idling, and the EP steering and brakes are fully functional.
racebeer: hypomiling — heh, it’s yer nickel!
You have to know how to drive a Prius to extract the most mileage out of it. The best I have managed was a consecutive 30 minute period of over 99 mpg.
Google “pulse and glide”. It is akin to putting a manual equipped car into neutral.
It is not about staying on battery. You do not want to drive solely on the battery. The best fuel economy is obtained by driving on level roads, maintaining a constant speed, no abrupt changes in speed, etc.
Rather than suggest you not play with fire (like turning off your car while coasting, thus killing your power brakes)
Or engaging the steering lock while on the move, something I have done, fortunately at low speed in my own driveway.
BTW, your consumption is a function of [accelerator depression] x [distance moved along road]. Time doesn’t enter the equation.
Has anyone ever noticed that the real hypermillers don’t go anywhere? It’s all about getting the odometer to read the most miles per gallon of gas. They do crazy things like spin around in circles in a parking lot to come to a stop. As if this represents any real transportation.
Last time I checked, my work was 7 actual miles away from my house, not 7 odometer miles.
“even in 5th, there’s a good bit of engine braking that requires a light throttle (which is using that precious juice).”
Actually, modern fuel injected cars usually shut off the fuel completely in an engine braking situations. Shifting to neutral while coasting will burn more gas than leaving it in gear. I will put it in neutral at a red light if I know it’s a long one. And sometimes I’ll shut off the engine too at the railroad crossing. But I’m always worried my starter will crap out, and wouldn’t *that* be a false economy.
i do a few hypermiling things, like taking the 5 speed outa gear on downhills, taking it easy on starts, coasting to stoplights, keeping to the speedlimits, engine off at stoplights. I have improved my average milage from about 32 to almost 40… none too shabby. Of course there are those who are concerned that i do not drive like a knucklehead. i dont care.
RSG920:
Also there was a great episode of Myth Busters where they checked out how much your mpg would improve trailing an 18 wheeler. Also an episode about what was more efficient, driving with the windows down or AC on.
Cool on TV; a very bad idea in the real world. The 1st time the truck you are following blows a tire (many pool trailers for big long haul companies have absolute garbage tires that are neglected and abused) or you hit road debris that you could have avoided you have erased the savings from years of hypermiling.
It seems to be much easier to hyper mile with a manual transmission.
If I’m not in a hurry and my SO is not in the car I can eek out an extra 5-10% on the freeway with my Liberty CRD. Even at $4.50/gal its not worth the aggravation to me most of the time.
My hyper-miling trick? Simple. If I have a long road trip, I post it on the ride board on Craigs List. Then I get a passenger who usually kicks in 30% or more of the fuel cost. Just like that, I “double” my mileage.