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100 Miles Per Gallon? Hypermilers Do It All The Time

usatoday.com — Hypermilers practice such unorthodox techniques as coasting for blocks with their car's engine turned off, driving far below speed limits on the freeway, pumping up tire pressure far beyond car and tire makers' recommendations and carefully manipulating the gas pedal to avoid fuel-burning excess.

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  • nahsrocketeer75, on 06/24/2008, -12/+51Interesting concept and more power to them ... but life's too short.
    • GemStar38, on 06/24/2008, -1/+21if it's their hobby/ obsession then they probably enjoy seeing if they can beat their own fuel efficiency records
      • secrity, on 06/25/2008, -3/+10Great, as long as they aren't being a jerk and blocking traffic.
    • S7aind, on 06/25/2008, -7/+7Time is money, so is it worth it to drive super slow to save a few dollars here and there?
      • bratterscain, on 06/25/2008, -9/+7There's more to life than money, like, a less toxic atmosphere, for example.
        • warbird, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6But theres not much more to life than time! and if Time = money, you're wrong ;)
    • sgiffy, on 06/25/2008, -3/+26Not to mention that shutting off your engine while driving, especially if you have power steering, is rather dangerous.
      • sladek, on 06/25/2008, -6/+3especially if you have an old diesel and have to wait for the glow-plugs to heat up before firing the engine
        • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8A warmed up diesel doesn't require glow plug warmup to restart or start at all in warm weather. So long as compression is good and the fuel isn't jelly it's not a problem.
        • SmokeN-DC, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3in most states "costing" or driving with the engine off is against the law as you can not react to an emergency where you might need to accelerate quickly to avoid some thing

          Also driving 15 MPH under the speed limit is also against the law
      • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Some new cars use an electric motor for their power steering pumps to gain MPG - mine does. Hybrids do too. If you think about it you'd understand why that is - same with their brakes. Guess what most of these guys are driving (and no I'm not).
    • cardinalb, on 06/25/2008, -5/+20Also over inflating your tyres could have serious consequences when its time to stop in a hurry. Brakes are also often assisted by the engine as well as the power steering so these guys are incredibly stupid. Saying that we do need to do more to save the planet.

      • MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -0/+15Somehow I think stopping in a hurry is the least of these guys problems.
      • peoplerstoopid, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3The planets fine....its us that are *****
    • Jpotts12, on 06/25/2008, -4/+9Although they're saving gas money, is it really worth all the extra time they're spending and all the discomfort they're enduring? I guess if you're really into it, but.....doesn't really seem worth it to me.
      • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Which would you rather have:

        1) Plan ahead a little more for a few minutes additional travel time and save money now available for toys or retirement...

        2) Drive like a nutter with the air conditioner on to save a few minutes and send that money off to the oil barrons?

        Which brings up another point:

        Do you even like the people you're giving your oil money to? If not, why would you want to give them even MOAR money?
    • ryusen, on 06/25/2008, -1/+0Some techniques will definitely shorten your life expectancy. Cutting your engine that often can't be safe. Neither is drafting closely behind large trucks.
    • Handonam, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1i have a new driving pet peeve: selfish hypermilers. they are either risking their lives on the road, or just pissing off others on the road (and also risking their lives as well).


      $ paying for damages (mechanical and possibly physical health) > $ saved from hypermiling

      you're basically BETTING YOUR LIFE if you do it.
  • CherrySmith123, on 06/24/2008, -12/+4any help is much appreciated with this gas issue!!!!
    its getting ridiculous!!!!!
  • FuryOfThor, on 06/24/2008, -8/+90I hate paying for gas, but I hate getting stuck behind people going 60 in the fast lane just about as much.
    • doubledoh, on 06/25/2008, -5/+18I definitely hate the people driving 60 in the fast lane WAY MORE. Hell, I'd pay extra at the pump if these "drivers" were off the road.
      • gutistg, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6I have no problem with people driving 60 in the fast lane, if that's the speed-limit. But as soon as they are able to drive 60 in any other lane, the opportunity should be taken.

        You should not be exceeding the speed-limit, there's just no good reason to do it.
        • whodat807, on 06/25/2008, -0/+260 is actually 10 miles under the speed limit in most places.
        • silveravnt, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3Yes officer. Thank you. Have a nice donut ... er day.
    • MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -1/+26Don't go to Florida. It's an odd mixture of teenagers doing 100MPH in school zones and retirees doing 25MPH in the passing lane of I-95
    • brownspank, on 06/25/2008, -6/+8A bicycle should solve your dilemma.
    • layzice, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7Also, just think, after they finally move or there is room to pass on the right... everyone who is behind you, who are now pissed, steps on the gas and flies by you... instantly negating all of your "creative" work.
    • Bodhinature, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7When did 60 become slow?
      • laughandsing, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3When everyone driving around you goes 85. It can be pretty dangerous. And here in MD you can get a ticket for not keeping up with traffic, even if you are going the speed limit.
    • Konrad9, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Dude, hypermilers don't do 60 in the fast lane.
      Hypermilers do 60 in the far right *slow* lane.
      The person doing 60 in the fast lane is on his/her cell phone, not paying attention to the road.
    • paradexes, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Those people often tend to be royal self righteous pricks. At least that has been my experience. The whole Smug episode on Southpark certainly seemed more accurate (except for the fart sniffing, altho I don't know what goes on behind closed doors with people)
  • HuskyPuzzle, on 06/24/2008, -24/+7Too bad the oil lobbyists are trying to crush all these technologies before they take off and become mainstream.
    • kpmoore, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10Hybrid cars are already mainstream...
    • Kidtuf, on 06/25/2008, -0/+12Um...the technology of coasting and not using the air conditioner? Did you even read the blurb associated with the article?
    • peoplerstoopid, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3just like they are trying to kill all the mongoose in the world....those scheming bastards!
  • stephenmeb, on 06/24/2008, -9/+3I think another tip for hypermilers it to just park "forwards", back up and go in reverse the whole way back.
  • Fangsinmybeard, on 06/24/2008, -20/+5This story will surely piss off the imperial oilygarchy. Be prepared for the merc death squads roaming California highways for hypermilers.
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2That already exists: You can tell a death squad vehicle because they have warning signs attached. The sign reads CALIFORNIA and is followed by a serial number, usually only affixed to the back, though cops in other states are starting to crack down on not having a warning sign in front as well: Being from out of state is no excuse to skirt the law...
  • S7aind, on 06/25/2008, -6/+64No air conditioning and barely cracking the windows on 90 degree days? How obsessed are these people to save an extra dollar at the pump?

    • welshie, on 06/25/2008, -14/+7It's not just about saving money at the pump. It's all about conservation and sensible use of resources. Those dead dinosaurs in the ground won't last forever, you know, and when it does, how will Joe Q Lardbucket get to the McLardy Drive-thru for some supersized fries and greaseburger without fuel to put in his supersized SUV?
      • MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -2/+8No it's a point of pride to see how many MPG they can get. It borders on impulsive obsession with some of them. I think they're crazy as it really won't make any difference and they are sacrificing time and comfort for really nothing. But hey, it's their lives if that's how they want to spend it.
        • secrity, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5That's fine as long as they are not blocking traffic with their slow driving.
      • zyryx, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5and since I have no kids, and will never have kids, I'm going to party and waste like it the end of the world!
      • peoplerstoopid, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1if they really gave some sort of ***** about saving the planet then they wouldn't drive in the first place. Saving resources.....these ass clowns are just competing with themselves.
      • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1You can be a smelly sweaty ecotard if you want to, thats fine. The rest of us need someone to laugh at as we cruise by your hot slow ass in our sports cars and SUVs.
    • Hindu_Wardrobe, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5It's Arizona, right now Phoenix is averaging high temps close to 110. We're used to 90, and find it rather pleasant. *sigh*
      • maggotsan, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1During the summer more than 90% of the cars on the roads here in AZ. have their windows up and hair blowing. I'm one of those people and there's nothing about 110 degree heat that's pleasant to me. Just sayin'.
    • Konrad9, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3I enjoy getting nearly 40mpg in my Mazda3, but when it gets to ~85+ around here, being comfortable trumps fuel economy.
      Not sweating my balls off on the way to work > an extra 3mpg.
    • paradexes, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2very obsessed.
  • virtualonliner, on 06/25/2008, -5/+44Some of the tactics they employ are really useful. But some, if not everyone is hypermiling, are going to increase the consumtion of gas over all. FTA "Hypermilers practice such unorthodox techniques as coasting for blocks with their car's engine turned off, driving far below speed limits on the freeway..." Now if you are driving "far below" speed limit on freeways, you are going to cause traffic congestion. That would decrease gas mileage for cars stuck in there...Just a thought
    • aladrin, on 06/25/2008, -4/+8Indeed. Their tactics only work because they are the only ones using them. If even half the people on the road used them, they would interfere with each other so much as to be pointless.
      • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5If we all drove slower on the highway congestion wouldn't increase any more than it is now. It would suck but that's beside the point. Wind resistance goes up exponentially as MPH increases. Driving slower DOES save gas but I prefer to just get behind a big truck if I'm that desperate - and you need not snuggle to save gas. Even 5 car lengths back the truck is helping...
    • Konrad9, on 06/25/2008, -3/+4My 'far below the speed limit' is 60mph in the slow traffic lane, which is 5mph below the limit.
      The people you are thinking of causing traffic congestion are idiots who aren't paying attention to traffic in the other lanes.
      People on their phones, eating, reading, putting on makeup, smoking, etc.

      Also, the only idiots who get 'stuck' behind me are idiots who run right up behind me and tailgate me for 10 miles. There is no need for that, they can easily switch lanes on their way up to me.
      No, I'm not going to go faster, it doesn't matter how close they get to me, and the fact they think I'm going to go faster only shows how stupid they are.
      • Skwerl, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7In the state of California, if more than three people are held up due to your inability to maintain the speed limit, it's your duty to pull over and let them by.

        "21656 Slow vehicle, failure to use signposted turnout or safe area."
        http://www2.lmu.edu/publicsafety/VehicleCode/Calif ...
        • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Most states, it's 5, and the rule only applies to two lane roads. If you can pass in another lane going the same way on the left, slow traffic isn't obligated to do anything different. California isn't a good example to give, as they're fairly ass backwards on a lot of things the rest of the country gets right.
    • silveravnt, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3It also causes people to speed around them using more gas.
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Actually, if everyone slowed down to ~45-50 all the time, traffic overall would flow more smoothly. Hard acceleration requires hard deceleration when you catch up to an obstacle, which is what causes the jam. Faster traffic causes larger traffic jams, not slower.
  • cubbiesx, on 06/25/2008, -3/+100I walk to work. Ultimate hypermilage.
  • sgiffy, on 06/25/2008, -5/+53So I can endanger my life, suffer in the heat, and waste time getting places for what will probably amount to 40 bucks a month. Sorry but I am ever that desperate I'll just cut back my satellite service.
  • shithitinthefan, on 06/25/2008, -4/+15Fred Flintstone already did it.
  • Gbobrt4, on 06/25/2008, -14/+6I'd tap that gas.
  • Cargo8, on 06/25/2008, -8/+62Too bad this article could give people very unsafe ideas...

    Turning the engine off can lock brakes and steering (at least the article gave warning here) and usually does in most modern cars. Not to mention if people abuse it and do it often, it is null because turning on an engine uses more gas than never turning it off (in some cases & timing-dependent)

    Driving below the speed limit is dangerous and can cause traffic for others. Thanks a lot, you improved your gas mileage and killed everyone else's, douche... Not to mention normally ideal gas consumption speed is 55-65 mph (which is why the speed lmit was changed during the oil embargo back in teh day)

    Tire pressure is very important to the performance and safety of a car. The wheels/tires are the only 4 contact points between the car and the road, why f*** with that? High tire pressure can cause significantly less grip between the tire and the road in addition to being more prone to blowouts, especially when "far beyond car and tire makers' recommendations"...

    Good job guys...
    • kpmoore, on 06/25/2008, -2/+6I absolutely agree with you, but just wanted to clarify that the ideal gas consumption speed is the slowest speed that the highest gear will allow. Your average car can do ~45mph in 5th gear, so that is typically your ideal speed. EPA highway mileage tests are performed at 48mph I believe.
      • LeRenard, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5That's a good rule of thumb.. but not literally true. Ideal gas consumption points differ from engine design to engine design and the designers and engineers spell that out in the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) map. Its a chart of fuel consumption against RPM and load. In normally aspirated engines, you almost always see the lowest consumption at the RPM of maximum torque output and less than 100% load. My 1NZ-FE powered Yaris has minimal consumption at about 2250 rpm and 70% load. On level ground traveling about 45, I get better mileage in fourth than fifth, even though the car will accelerate fine in 5th from about 35 up and not hit 100% load. My best economy is in whatever gear keeps me closest to 2250 RPM for my travel speed. Forced induction cars can have very unintuitive "sweet spots" in their maps due to the efficiency of the compression mechanisms. Oh, and the EPA recently changed its testing methodology to a higher speed, which is why MPG ratings on 08 vehicles have dropped.
      • gamer31, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4My car can do 15 in 6th gear and still accelerate with no hesitation. I'd rather not drive that slow.
    • shifty2, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7I think the worst hypermiling idea is to catch the drafts of tractor trailers as they go down the highway.
      There is an ***** here on the DC beltway who i have seen several times basically tailgating tractor trailers and trying to stay in their draft to dramatically decrease the air flow drag so he is off the throttle more.

      I understand the concept, but looking at his crushed front bumper and hood makes me wonder if its even worth it.
      not to mention that causing a huge pile up on 495 would increase everyone's gas mileage. He won't have to worry about it as the beltway commuters would draw and quarter his ass.

      lastly, another terrible idea is speeding through corners in neutral so that you don't have to accelerate that much after a turn. sure you saved about a teaspoon of fuel, but you had to run over Billy and his mom as they crossed the street.

    • LeRenard, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3While they do some unsafe things, I wanted to point out that it is a fallacy that starting the car uses more fuel then letting it run. Maybe with a Kenworth, but not your average car. Starting your average sedan uses an amount of fuel equal to what it burns in about 10 seconds.. so letting it idle more than ten seconds is less efficient than turning it off. Cars haven't consumed a whole lot of fuel on start-up since the carburetor was abandoned. They consume a bit more than usual starting, but not like they used to. I've verified this with GPH instrumentation, btw. The information doesn't mean you need to turn it off while driving, but if you are sitting in a drive through, for instance, it might be worth it to turn it off depending on how long you are sitting there. I strongly suspect modern diesels see much of a benefit from idling over starting if any, however I haven't done any testing myself to speak to it.
  • mcdougan, on 06/25/2008, -11/+11it is fun to try and beat your old records when it comes to gas mileage until some guy decides to follow you home because you were going ten miles lower than the speed limit in your vespa and threatens to beat you up... for being a "fairy" its all good though i saw your parking decal mr golden crown vic... and i know you use the non resident floor on the west deck at school you'll get yours one day
    • WaxenPith, on 06/25/2008, -3/+8the ***** are you babbling about?
      • pryoee4, on 06/25/2008, -4/+1The Royal "We" man, you know, the editorial.
    • itsabrandnewday, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4non sequitur. dugg!
    • salinemist, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I love driving my wife's MDX and letting her boggle at my 25mpg average, and that's without driving like an ass, just common sense.
  • smellytim, on 06/25/2008, -6/+7i couldnt go that slow on the freeway.
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Sure you can. It's called "lift your foot off the gas." Do the math: You only save a few seconds to a couple minutes on a crosstown or cross-region trip. Most vehicles built since the 1970s get best fuel economy at around 46-48 MPH, you're just wasting money and making fuel that much more scarce going faster than 50 (60 if your vehicle is unusually aerodynamic).
    • smellytim, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1are u serious about not going faster than 50? thats ***** ridiculous. why dont we try going slower than 75 first and then we'll see where it it goes. these guys might go that slow but no one else does.
  • blurrie, on 06/25/2008, -3/+6it would be interesting to see someone really trying to drive slow on i80 here in northern cali.. i think they'd get run over. seriously.
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Probably because you don't need any driving ability to get a license in California.

      1) Answer keys are available while taking the written test.
      2) You do not need to pass the driving portion of the test if you get a high enough score on the written.

      Only Californians are as retarded as you describe as a result.
      • blurrie, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1figures.. an oregoon complaining about california.
        please don't get me started about your citizens driving prowess.

        flame on.
  • NoZb2k, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10If your riding a motorbike, its a pretty easy thing to do. My 1991 Yamaha Jog gets 100MPG without any special adjustments.
    • LenBaird, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2I just got a scooter that gets 100mpg while I zip around @40 mph on a fun little ride that handles great (Aprilia sr50). Yea, I can't drive on the highway with it, but It's a lot better than the techniques that the "hypermilers" use.
  • FireandFlame, on 06/25/2008, -9/+4How does shutting the engine off and coasting for blocks help in mileage if it takes 1/4th of a gallon to get the engine restarted anyway?
    • Bisqwit, on 06/25/2008, -3/+7Only older engines require that much fuel to restart.
      And, if the car is running, starting up the engine does not require gas at all. In fact, when you relieve the gas pedal, the car is not consuming any gas, as long as the RPM is high enough (say, > 1200) that the driving computer doesn't think that the engine is in danger of stalling and forces fuel to be used.
      • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Wow, like the ONE person posting with a clue and you got dug down? what you said is 100% correct so long as the car is kept in gear when the pedal is let up on - anyone with an MPG computer can see this as the numbers show dashed when you let off the gas on the highway displaying instant MPG. Many of the hypermiler guys aren't keeping it in gear though apparently and yeah that's more dangerous although it does increase cost time since there's no compression losses. Posted it elsewhere but starting the engine doesn't require jack for fuel if it's EFI and warmed up. Just popping the clutch while coasting requires even less
    • johnnyboy239, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Mostly because that's not true, it takes seven seconds of gas running a car at idle to start a car, with any fuel injected engine.

      Meaning that if you are going to be in one spot for more then 7 seconds it's more efficient to turn the car off.
  • SaladCactusKing, on 06/25/2008, -4/+27Oh Hello Officer, what seems to be the problem?
    Why, yes I was driving 20 MPH on the 405 Freeway...It's for the environment, you see.
    • ericmac, on 06/25/2008, -0/+720mph? The only time the 405 is uncongested enough to drive that fast is 3am!
      • Handonam, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1yea, we need to go after that guy who drives at 20mph every ***** day causing that LA traffic.
  • username484767, on 06/25/2008, -14/+6"coasting for blocks with their car's engine turned off"
    for an average car, a 4cyl dohc, when you start your engine you spend roughly 5 miles of fuel, so this is pretty flawed.
    I laugh at those people who shut their engines off when in lines
    • Cglass, on 06/25/2008, -5/+8Cool I like how you pulled that fact out of your bung hole :) Hard evidence please.
    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10*****. You've never tuned a car's EFI computer have you? It takes nothing to start a warmed up car, the enrichment value is minuscule and the afterstart RPMs are also tiny. FAIL!
      • username484767, on 06/25/2008, -6/+1thank you for being a tool for my amusement :-)
  • bippitybop1, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2The fancy instrument to monitor gas mileage, is nothing more than a vacuum gage, My 1999 BMW 328i has one built into the speed odometer panel. It can be used to train yourself to push lightly on the gas pedal.
    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Actually no, a vac gauge isn't that good an indicator. My car actually has a nice digital readout for MPG, THAT is what many people are building and installing into their cars. They monitor injector pulsewidth and speedometer pulses to calculate MPG. HackADay highlighted a gauge being built not long ago, some folks just plug into their OBDII data port for similiar readings.
    • LeRenard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6The weapon of choice of most hypermilers is the Scangauge II, which monitors a ton of engine parameters via the OBD-II computer port. It measures vehicle speed, fuel pressure, injector pulses, air density, 02, etc. etc. and computes the fuel consumption from there. Much more accurate than vacuum but with the same intent. The advantage of the scangauge is that it records averages, peaks, minimums, etc, for entire trips or periods of time, and it also relays otherwise hidden data from the computer for display, like coolant temp, intake air temperature, manifold pressure, voltage, engine load, etc.
  • yacks, on 06/25/2008, -3/+17oh screw mileage.. :) I like to floor it off the red just to get to the next red where I floor it again. :) I don't like other people getting ahead of me because of idiots that change lanes in front of you for no reason other than to just go slower than you are.
    • Ravatar, on 06/25/2008, -0/+17Best part is, occasionally you beat the next red and all those SUCKERS are stuck there for another 3-4 minutes.
  • calenerd, on 06/25/2008, -4/+22The money you save on gas = The time you wasted.
    • johnnyboy239, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Only if your time is worth money
  • sabach, on 06/25/2008, -7/+5It would help a lot if people would just do the speed limit and not routinely go 10 mph over. And slowly accelerate between lights rather than haul-ass and then have to brake very hard. It just seems like common sense to me.
    • aladrin, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4Getting up to speed quickly is better. If you're going to accelerate, do it quickly. Breaking very hard is defintiely bad, though... It means you were going too fast in the first place.
    • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2***** that noise.

      Every red light is the start of a drag race to the next one!
  • drewniverse, on 06/25/2008, -5/+15More like Super Assholes.
  • reisrocks, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5Guys over in the UK, we're at about £3.3 a gallon, that's a whopping $7 a gallon.

    And yet that doesn't stop us from harshly speeding and breaking between our red-lights every 20 meters, and speed cameras every 30 meters.
    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Is that an English gallon or a US gallon. Yes, there's a difference....
      • reisrocks, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2US gallon.

        We deal with fuel in litres.. So one US Gallon = 3.785411784 litres.

        And our unleaded is around £1.1 a litre.

        The brits were bonkers enough to invent imperial units.. but they were not stupid enough to keep them :] ;)
  • cvindustries, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3Or just drive a buddy. It gets 100 mpg. I saw one the other day, and it looked sweet (as far as scooters go).

    http://www.genuinescooters.com/scooters/buddy/intl ...
    • Ravatar, on 06/25/2008, -3/+4Why do that when I can get a crotch rocket that gets 68-75mpg easily and gets me there a HELL of a lot faster.
      • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3And people wont point and laugh as you go by either.
        • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Sure they will: You were dumb enough to trade comfort and utility for speed and riding around with your ass sticking up like a gay hooker on E.
    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3Guy I see on the way to work drives something like this. He is usually followed by a LONG line of angry drivers. One of these days the dude is going to get run over. I'm for saving gas but becoming a speedbump isn't cool.
  • Mistlefoot, on 06/25/2008, -4/+19The 1st guy in the article advises he saves fuel by driving 10mph slower then the speed limit - which takes him an additional 16 minutes per commutes. He also says he gets 100mpg. He is corporate jet pilot.

    Math says his commute is around 62 miles in each direction - so 124 miles per day. At 100 miles per gallon he saves 1 1/4 gallons - or $5.00 worth of gas a day. Good to know a corporate pilot's time is only worth $10 per hour.

    I also wonder how much more fuel he wastes by blocking all the traffic behind him while driving 45mph on the freeway.
    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2He said he takes back roads, that's likely part of the reason for the longer time taken too.
    • Konrad9, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2If he's blocking traffic on the freeway, I laugh at the people he blocks.
      Any ***** too stupid not to switch lanes when they see someone going 45 deserves to get 'blocked'.
    • Kevin108, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I would say he blocks none. That is what the left lane is for.
  • fatfreddyscat, on 06/25/2008, -5/+5I wonder if I can hypermile my motorcycle?
    • smackjack, on 06/25/2008, -3/+3You can hypermile all the way to the hospital If you try something reckless
    • Kevin108, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Yes, you can! Check out cleanmpg.com We have several new users doing just that!
  • pbarbosa, on 06/25/2008, -6/+0maybe this is the ultimate answer to hypermiling

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-A3XHFT5qc
  • aussiessuck, on 06/25/2008, -3/+14Tip #1

    Catch a bus. Will save you ALL your fuel.
    • Vindicoth, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2You don't have that option if you live in a Rural area like me.
      • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Only because you haven't talked to your state about implementing rural transit yet. Oregon has.
      • aussiessuck, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Tip #2

        Catch a horse. Will save you all your fuel.
    • Kevin108, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1AND you get to smell like the homeless wino riding next to you!
  • edebolt, on 06/25/2008, -3/+5I telecommute from SEA to the USA everyday. I save 16,000 miles of commuting daily. Top that Hyper mullets.
  • CrazyZ, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3If you commute a lot, just by a motorcycle. Even though you may not ride it in the colder months, you still more than make up for it with how much you'll save. A decent bike have less maintenance costs, get between 40 - 60 mpg on the highway and it's a hell of a lot more fun than a car.
    • aladrin, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1The solution to saving money is not 'Buy more vehicles'. That's idiotic.
      • CrazyZ, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1Obiously, but there are many people out there in the market for a new vehicle of some sort and if gas is a consideration, then a motorcyle is the way to go in many instances.
    • draculthemad, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4A thousand dollar mortal cycle is going to take a long time to pay itself off, even before you factor in things like the insurance payments.
      • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1And good luck finding one thats worth while for 1k.
    • CrazyZ, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3A decent used bike will set you back about 5grand. At 50 miles a gallon it's a much better "cost savings" than a prius.... The solution to saving money is buying a different vehicle that has a small up front cost and unless you buy a super sport, your insurance is going to be less than you think.
    • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3Yes but the bills that will pile up after a bus hits you and you end up in a Coma might off set those savings.
  • danharlow, on 06/25/2008, -6/+4Oh so now that things are expensive everyone is trying to save, save, save!?
  • TeflonDom, on 06/25/2008, -3/+5How many of these guys will just go out and drive so they can get their latest MPG figures – wasting more fuel
  • Kmap, on 06/25/2008, -3/+22I get unlimited mpg by only driving in GTA4. I live at home with my mum and my right hand is my girlfriend, so there are some drawbacks.
  • cryptomystic, on 06/25/2008, -6/+7***** hypermiling just get those SUV's off the damn road already.
  • evilrevolution, on 06/25/2008, -6/+11. Use Lighter Grade Engine Oil
    -use the oil that's best for your engine.

    6. Skip the Premium Octane
    -costs more but you get better mpg, so it works out the same. better 4 ur car as well.

    8. Get it in High Gear
    -Your car is at peak economy when your at the sweet spot right in the middle, at the point where its easiest to accelerate.



    • BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7Ummm NO. Thinner quality oil, particularly synthetic will increase mileage without increasing wear. Engines can pick up as much as 16HP at the wheels just by switching to a good synthetic.

      Premium octane - higher octane gas explodes LESS easily. It's used in higher compression engines to stave off detonation. Use the PROPER octane for yuor engine. Higher octane on a low compression engine will LOWER MPG and power. Low octane gas on an engine who's compression requires higher octane gas will force the engine to retard timing and LOWER it's MPG and power. It can also cause engine damage over time since detonation must occur in most cars for the timing change to be sensed.

      Peak economy will occur at peak torque. Peak torque is where BSFC is highest. Put it in high gear and get the tach to peak torque, not HP, and you'll do the best. you can often find engine power graphs for various vehicles in car reviews or hell just have it tested. Seat of the pants is CRAP for figuring this out.
    • bemenaker, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Premium gas will rarely be worth the extra money to you, but it's not too uncommon that the 89 octane will pay for itself. My '97 Accord gets enough extra gas mileage on 89 to more than offset the extra $.10/gallon, but 92 octane is a complete waste for me. You need more compression to make use of the 92 octane.
  • larrydag, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2Another hypermiler website not mentioned in the article.

    www.ecomodder.com
  • NecroDigg, on 06/25/2008, -4/+2I drive a pimped out racing tractor to the supermarket. ***** fuel efficiency.
  • partrow, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1These anal engineer types who have nothing else to do have been doing this for a long time. What's the point?
    I know some that ride bicycles, then take a shower when they get to work, with 20 gallons of water down the drain. How impressive!
    • AkiraXXX, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4So, you're saying people shouldn't shower?
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1To suggest that utilizing water is the same as wasting oil to carry a 5 seat vehicle with one person in it really demonstrates how little clue you have: If worse comes to worse, you can re-use water after you've peed it out or bathed in it just by filtering and distilling it again. Try that with used gasoline.
  • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -4/+6Well thats just about as unsafe as you can get.

    Over inflated tires? Sure they give you VERY SLIGHTLY better MPG, but they also vastly reduce the grip on the road. Hope you dont have to stop fast for anything.

    Engine off? So no power steering or power brakes? Ya thats safe too....

    I dont even need to mention why going slow in the fast lane is ***** retarded either.

    ***** idiots.
    • D14BL0, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Nobody said anything about going slow in the fast lane, professor.
      • TheGhostMan, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1But they did say something about going slow on the freeway.
  • spacerockzero, on 06/25/2008, -6/+0I'm a proud hypermiler. 45+in my civic. Doing it without skill or in the fast lane would be dangerous, but I have rally and drift experience to back me up.
    • jhandfield, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Hate to break it to you, but Civics can get close to that without 'hypermiling' when driven right...
    • mike17032, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1Tool.
  • mttyd, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9All fun and games untill someone turns off their engine and can't make a turn and kills their family... All to save $3 off their weekly gas bill...
  • ibmetom, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2Other than being a safety hazard and mentally a little touched I wonder if they attempt to hyper other aspects of their lives, toilet paper, tooth paste, soap and that's just the bathroom.
  • darkfus, on 06/25/2008, -3/+3These guys are idiots, because they're a major danger to everyone else for the sake of saving money on their own gas budget. It won't be long before one of these guys kills someone cause they were busy starting their car or hitting their soft/unresponsive brakes because the engine was off.
  • bemenaker, on 06/25/2008, -4/+2Why are these loons getting so much press, and especially when they aren't being chastised for unsafe and stupid practices? Driving down the road with you car turned off, (ILLEGAL), let's see, no power assist on the brakes, when they are designed to need that vacuum assist. Driving way below the speed limit on the highway, this is dangerous, ILLEGAL, and backs up traffic causing everyone else to burn MORE gas. Tailgating, Illegal and dangerous. Extremely slow accelerations, well that's the leading cause of the traffic backups on interstates right there, well, coupled with over braking.

    This is retarded, and getting too much glamor press. Let's be honest about this selfish dangerous practice.
    • BassJunkie, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2I seriously doubt driving UNDER the speed limit is illegal on highways, as for it causing more traffic to backup that is complete crap. If the car in front of you is going to slow OVERTAKE! Most highways I've seen on tv shows of the US show they have at least 3 or 4 lanes so the only way you'd be held up is if all the lanes are blocked, in which case everyone is driving below the limit!
      If you also read the article the guy they speak to says he won't follow any closer then 3 seconds behind a truck, which is perfectly adequate considering I learnt the 2 second rule!

      I have found that once I stopped rushing everywhere I saw a good improvement in my mileage, after all there's no point rushing into a traffic jam as you then just waste petrol getting back upto speed! It's much better coast to stopped traffic, a technique that is easier to understand once you start cycling as you notice how much more energy it takes to get started from a standstill versus a rolling start :-)
      • bemenaker, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1You had better go check the laws again. Yes it is ABSOLUTELY illegal to go more than 10 mph under the speed limit on the Interstate unless there is a hazardous condition, ie: snow, heavy rain, truck load of pigs running wild in the street.

        It's the people who don't speed up after jamming on their brakes that cause traffic backups.

        How often do people on the lane next to a slow moving vehicle slow down because of the lane next to them going slow. It happens every single day on the interstate when I'm driving home.

        When you tailgate, you have to be right on top of something to draft, being 3 secs behind a truck, and you get no benefit of drafting, and BTW, when you draft, you just offset your saved gas to that truck in front of you. Now he has to pay for you. In essence, you are stealing gas from him.

        Learning how to maintain the flow of traffic would do far more overall than this stupid crap would.
        • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1. Yes it is ABSOLUTELY illegal to go more than 10 mph under the speed limit on the Interstate unless there is a hazardous condition, ie: snow, heavy rain, truck load of pigs running wild in the street.

          Check yourself before you wreck yourself. No such law exists. In fact, bicycles are permitted on the vast majority of interstate highway mileage in the US (the practice only being prohibited in 22 east-coast states where the population density is so high they don't have room to put in proper shoulders). Most bicyclists aren't going to be going faster than 30 unless they're going downhill, and the police leave them alone.
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Driving way below the speed limit on the highway, this is dangerous, ILLEGAL, and backs up traffic causing everyone else to burn MORE gas.

      Driving below the speed limit is not illegal. Driving faster than it is. And to suggest that going slower wastes more fuel strongly implies you don't get the concept of road and wind drag in the slightest.
      • SofaKid, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0Best speed for fuel efficiency is 110 km/h.
      • BassJunkie, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1I understand enough about friction and drag to understand that there is a noticeable "sweet spot" when travelling at highway speeds. Once exceed a certain speed to amount of energy you need to put in to increase speeds starts to increase much quicker then your speed as the wind resistance is greater, hence these people use the slipstream of a truck to reduce their drag!
  • D14BL0, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4People seem to think that these guys are a hazard to other people on the road. Maybe if everybody else would drive carefully and actually, you know, pay attention to other vehicles instead of worrying about their own selves, there wouldn't be any safety issue.

    Also, drive a manual, people. Not really hard to coast with the engine off in a manual.
  • icexe, on 06/25/2008, -3/+3This type of obsession is not uncommon. in fact, lots of people become so focused on achieving a goal that they completely lose sight of what the originally intended to do. Take for example the guy who's obsessed with overclocking his CPU. Eventually overclocking becomes the end in itself, he'll do nothing but tweaking, adjusting, and running endless benchmarks on his PC instead of actually using his PC.
    • mousky, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1By "not uncommon" you mean "common" since uncommon means "not common".
  • BassJunkie, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I got a shock the other day to see I was at 68mpg in my Prius during a morning commute! Not bad considering I wasn't even out of the town yet! Not bad considering the official figures don't even quote mileage that good on the extra-urban cycle (i.e freeways or motorways depending on what side of the pond your from). I'm currently on about 440 miles for this tank, with 3 bars of petrol left!
    • Duositex, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Petrol? NO wonder fuel so much more expensive in Europe with a fancy name like that! Ours is half the price because "gas" has three fewer letters! :P
    • BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I got a shock the other day to see I was at 68mpg in my Prius during a morning commute! Not bad considering I wasn't even out of the town yet!

      Also not surprising given that regenerative braking accounts for much of hybrid fuel savings, which is why hybrids get insanely good city mileage, but fairly lousy highway mileage compared to their city miles. My friends who have Prius's tend to get 60-70 in the city, half that on the highway.
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