Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Hypermiling for MPG: Four Techniques

Do you want to start hypermiling for MPG? Looking to save a ton of gas and drive down your expenses by increasing mile per gallon? But before we go on...

Hypermiling is defined simply as surpassing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates for a particular vehicle's fuel efficiency. There is a growing group of people who are reacting to the growing gas prices who label themselves as hypermilers. They consistently beat the EPA estimates and consequently save hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars every year in gas. Here are 4 advanced methods that the top hypermilers employ to save gasoline.

Hypermiling for MPG Option 1: The Auto Stop

The auto-stop technique is utilized to make use of traction between the tires of your car and the pavement. Instead of applying the brake to stop, when possible, you would shift into the neutral gear and glide to a stop, attempting to time your slow down as close as possible to where you want your vehicle to finish up. This can save a fair amount of gas and boost miles per gallon, but you must consider whether you are in an environment where this is safe to practice. Additionally, this maneuver is best used on manual transmissions, as some automatics can be damaged by consistently auto-stopping.

Hypermiling for MPG Option 2: Drafting

This maneuver can be life-threatening and is actually illegal in several states, so be forewarned. However, you can save considerable amounts by applying this method when on a highway. Drafting make use of the fact that you'll encounter less wind resistance when following a big vehicle closely. To save even more gas, some hypermilers put their car into neutral and cut the ignition while drafting so even less gas is used and MPG increases. Naturally, use extreme discretion when employing this technique.

Hypermiling for MPG Option 3: Find Your Optimum Speed

This technique will take some work with both the car and a pencil, but can pay off in huge dividends if applied correctly. Every car has it's own unique optimal speed at which fuel efficiency is at it's highest. This speed is usually around 35-50mph, but you'll need to record data for yourself and work out where the sweet spot is for your vehicle.

Hypermiling for MPG Option 4: Run your car on HHO gas (Water to Gas)

This formula can have the biggest impact on fuel efficiency of all. With some minor alterations costing about $150 and the right guide, you can hook up a system to turn water and baking soda into a viable fuel for your car. When you cut the gasoline used with this cleaner burning fuel, you can experience up to a 50% increase in fuel efficiency. That's what hypermiling is all about.

There are hundreds of different methods to increase fuel efficiency, but these are a few of the strongest. Exercise caution if attempting either auto-stopping or drafting, as they can certainly be dangerous in some circumstances. Determine the right speed for your car, put an HHO conversion kit on and you're on your way to becoming an extreme hypermiler for greater MPG.

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