Hypermiling – An Introduction
Hypermiling Bumper Sticker
***Disclaimer: Real hypermiling is pretty dangerous and some aspects of it are illegal, so don’t break the law. Also, I do not really care about the status of the environment; I only hypermile for fun.
These days it seems that fuel economy is the selling point of every new car. Most people just look at these overused numbers (like, 32 mpg Highway!) and don’t really understand what it means. If they are comparing two similar vehicles, though, then value might actually come down to the best fuel-economy (most of the time, vehicle comparisons are not fair). But chances are that person will not actually achieve the EPA-rated numbers for numerous reasons. To hypermile is to drive in a way that minimizes fuel consumption, and there are many ways to try it. A lot of American drivers like to accelerate quickly for no apparent reason. If you are driving in the city, you should drag out the 0-30 acceleration as long as you can (but it’ll probably depends on the general attitude of other drivers in your city).
During my week of total dedication to hypermiling, I don’t think I pressed the gas pedal past about 10%, which is tough on the mind if you live for turbocharged acceleration as I do. If you see a light going yellow in your path, instantly let off the gas. If you know the light pattern well, shut off your engine if you’ll be idling at a red light for a little while. (I’ve found this helps a lot at some rural lights that seem to never change.) Also try not to slow down as much into turns, but keep it safe. Carrying speed, i.e. momentum, is the best way to achieve better mileage. Run your engine at lower RPMs, if possible, just not if you are breaking in a new car. I don’t think I used anything past 2500 and I shifted to the top gear as soon as I could. My friend was telling me that he hardly sees anything more than 25 mpg out of his 2.5 Subaru engine, which is unusual for someone that cares about mileage, but when I rode around with him I discovered that he ran the car at about 3500 RPM on normal roads when he could be shifting. Since the engine spins only about 72% as much at 2500 than at 3500, this can be a significant problem. I also like to coast in neutral up to stop lights and skip shifts (3rd to 6th) to keep engine speeds down.
Hypermiling is a fun challenge and I find myself trying to beat my record each time I make the 100 mile (mostly 45-55 mph roads) commute back home throughout the summer. With a record of 38.8 mpg out of my 2.0T (and without angry drivers or Amish buggies stuck behind me), I’m somewhat above the rated value of 21 city/31 highway for my model. Almost any car can perform well above its rating if driven correctly. The regular checks such as keeping your tires properly inflated and removing roof racks for extended trips will also help out.
Good Ways to Get Started
If you’re looking to buy a new car, try something small, a family of four should have no problem fitting in a mid-size sedan orwagon. Try to find engines with small displacements that put out as much power as larger engines. Used diesels are probably the best you can get these days from a miles per dollar standpoint. Older VW diesel models are known to get 50+ mpg without any hypermiling techniques, and when coupled with some basic strategies, they can deliver better numbers than almost any hybrid for a fraction of the cost.
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