HYPERMILING

What is Hypermiling, exactly?

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of hypermiling, let's look into what this previously 'secret' gas-saving practice is all about.

Hypermiling is essentially a term that describes the conscious and mindful effort of increasing the amount of gas mileage you get from your vehicle - Getting MORE miles from LESS gas.

Hypermiling involves many different aspects including the overall condition of your car, your driving behavior, and what type of vehicle you drive.

We will discuss each of these areas. Each is very important on its own, and can be an area where you are wasting lots of fuel. When you make fuel saving changes in each of these areas, they will collectively add up to getting UBER mileage out of the gas you pump into your vehicle.

There are many ways our vehicles and we, as drivers, waste fuel. We get into the habit of doing things and they become second nature to us. You have the power to make changes both in your driving behavior AND in your thinking... and that is at the real heart of hypermiling.

To become a hypermiler, you must develop a higher level of gas-saving conscousness that encompasses the way you drive, your vehicle's maintenance, and even what type of vehicle (including tires, etc) you drive.

Principles of hypermiling require that you make changes to the way you drive (most of which are just good sense), you keep your vehicle in good repair and running efficiently, and that you follow some other proven practices that will result in getting MORE gas and miles for your money.

Staying focused to make these gas-saving driving changes may be a little difficult at first. But if you are able to save thousands of dollars each year on fuel by 'hypermiling', then I trust that you'll gladly start utilizing the strategies to become a true hypermiler. I'm sure you work hard for your money, just like I do - We might as well get all we can out of our gas dollar.

Perhaps the greatest thing about hypermiling is that ANYONE can do it, no matter how long they have been driving.

And hypermiling doesn't require any engine modifications or add-on fuel saving devices - things that could void the warranty on your car.

And there's also absolutely NO cost or expense involved in hypermiling.

It also doesn't matter what type of vehicle you drive to benefit from hypermiling practices. There will always be something you can do to save on fuel costs, no matter what make or model of car or truck you drive.

Although HYPERMILING may seem like a new trend, people have been practicing these strategies to boost MPG and save on gas for many, many years.

These people, called HYPERMILERS.

Hypermilers - Who are they?

With gas hitting record prices and no relief in site, a new breed of driver is taking over the roadways. They call themselves the "hypermilers." They don't wear club jackets - at least, not yet. You can only identify them by their obsessive attention to maximizing their car's gas mileage.

The term hypermiler seems to have originated with hybrid-vehicle driving clubs whose members actively compete to see who can go furthest in exceeding the EPA's (United States Environmental Protection Agency's) estimated fuel efficiency.

By using real-time mileage displays, hypermilers are able to pinpoint the driving techniques that deliver the best EPA ratings. Once identified, these techniques can be tweaked and refined.

The trend started out within a competitive atmosphere of drivers who put their hypermiling talents to the test in hypermileage marathons. But as gas prices in the United States began an unprecedented climb in 2007, hypermiling began to draw media attention.

Today, the average hypermiler is less likely to be a hybrid-driving competitor and more likely to be a working man or woman trying to squeak some extra miles out of a gas budget that's begun taking a real beating.

Even drivers of luxury SUV's, the vehicles favored by the more affluent families in America, are showing an increasing interest in hypermiling, hoping that a few tricks performed behind the wheel will lead to less sticker shock in front of the gas pump.

Avid hypermilers claim they can increase their mileage by better than forty percent. Many say they've taken automobiles with an average miles-per-gallon rating of 27mpg and easily gotten to 40 mpg.

How is this accomplished? Hypermilers rely on all the old standbys for saving gas, like driving the speed limit and making sure their tires are inflated to the manufactures recommendation.

But they also rely heavily on a new technique of accelerating their vehicle to the posted legal speed, then coasting as far as they can without further acceleration.

Truly passionate hypermilers, however, go even further, modifying the body of their car to make it more streamlined and thus fuel-efficient.

Some use fiberglass and sheet metal for their modifications and strive to make their vehicles look like custom cars. Others care little for good looks, using parts from abandoned cars, discarded highway signs and other odd assortments of scrap metal to alter the outline of their auto.

Although the term hypermiling has a distinct American accent, the concept of maximizing fuel efficiency has worldwide appeal. In Europe, where gas prices have long been as much as twice as high as prices in the U.S., the term "ecodriving" is used to describe tactics and techniques that can be used by most drivers for more energy-efficient use of their vehicles.

No matter where on the planet they live and what they choose to call themselves, most drivers today will agree that the days of low-cost gas and cars that guzzle it with abandon are over.

Dwindling gas supplies, rising prices and the threats of pollution and global warming are all indicators that hypermiling and ecodriving will become permanent parts of not just the world vocabulary, but also the world conscience.

5 Ways You Can Become a Hypermiler and Save Money BIG TIME!

The price of gasoline has been the dominant economic issue for Americans over recent years. People have come up with some very creative ways to maximizing fuel efficiency as the average cost of a gallon of gasoline has risen above $4 per gallon. One particular group of people with this goal in mind have been termed "hypermilers."

Hypermiling in it's simplest terms means: exceeding your car's EPA estimated fuel efficiency by altering your driving habits or your vehicle's mechanics.

Here are 5 ways you can be a hypermiler and save big at the pump.

1. Maintain an efficient speed.
This can be extremely important to how much gas you use, especially while on long trips. While every vehicle has it's own unique optimal speed for fuel efficiency, it is usually in the 40-55mph range. You can test for your car's own optimal speed by cruising with minimal stopping at a set speed and figuring the mileage it gets. Then, compare with other speeds in the 40-55mps range.

2. Keep up on your car's maintenance.
Perhaps the easiest way to keep fuel costs in check is to keep your car running smoothly. It may cost a little money in the short term to get that tune up or change that dirty air filter, but the results can be well worth it. In addition to up to $.90 per gallon in savings with optimal maintenance, you will extend the life of your car.

3. Shed those excess pounds.
Many people want to loose weight so they can be healthier. It's absolutely no different for your car. Unloading extra weight from your car, however you can, will always result in higher fuel efficiency. In fact, for every 100 pounds you lighten car by, you will gain 2% in fuel efficiency. That works out to saving $48 every year in gas, for every 100 pounds you drop.

4. Install an aftermarket fuel gauge.
While some hybrids and higher-end vehicles already have gauges which show real time fuel efficiency, most cars produced in the U.S. are lacking this feature. However, these same cars do have an onboard monitor that keeps track of fuel efficiency for diagnostic purposes.

Several companies now sell aftermarket gauges that will hook up to this part of your car's computer and display your real time mileage, allowing you to adjust your driving to maximize your efficiency.

5. Use water to fuel your car.
This may sound a little out of left field, but the most powerful technique hypermilers are using these days is converting their cars to run on water in addition to gasoline. Through the use of some fairly common items, and the instruction of one of the many available HHO conversion guides, you can quickly convert your car to burn water in addition to gasoline. This technique can save you up to 60% in gas if you can find the right HHO instruction manual for setting it up.

Everyone is talking about the cost of gas and how to save on it.

The cheapest, easiest way to cut gas expenses is by cutting gas consumption. Slowing down, avoiding stop and go traffic, and other rules of sensible driving will pay off in real savings.

But exactly how much?

The figures will vary from car to car and truck to truck, but assuming a midsize car being driven 12,500 miles a year and paying $3.75 for gas, here's what you could save:

Drive sensibly. Around town, sensible driving can save up to 30 gallons of gasoline per year, equal to up to $100.

Avoiding rapid acceleration, rapid braking and speeding can lower gas mileage by up to 33% at highway speeds. If you're a very aggressive driver, losing your "lead foot" can save you up to 80 gallons of gasoline a year for an annual savings of $260.

Keeping your tires properly inflated to the manufacturers recommended psi could save up to 20 gallons of gasoline per year for an annual savings of $65.

Using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil could improve gas mileage by 1 to 2%- for an annual savings of $40.

Choose the Right Vehicle. If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10% of your trips from driving a car that gets 20 mpg to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than $65 per year.

Reduce your trips for shopping and errands by walking, bicycling, using public transportation and by combining trips. A reduction of just 5% can save up to $100 per year on gasoline costs.

Form a carpool. The average U.S. commuter can save $260 a year by carpooling twice a week with two other people in a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon - assuming all three commuters share the cost of gas.

Telecommute. A worker who telecommutes--works from home via phone or internet -- twice a week would save about $390 a year in gasoline costs.

Knowing that a few changes in your driving habits can add up to real dollars can be a terrific incentive to drive with more sense!

Lighten Up - Remove the excess baggage.

The heavier your vehicle is, the more gas it takes to get it moving and keep it moving, regardless of what speed drive. While you can't do much about the base weight of your vehicle, you can remove things on it and in it to lighten up.

And for those shopping for a new vehicle... Always consider the weight of a vehicle in your buying decision.

What are you carrying around in your trunk? Chances are you have a heavy tool box and other items in there you don't really need. Some basic tools to change a tire, your spare, and a flashlight are all that's important.

You may want to have a blanket in case you break down, a pair of pliers, and a couple of screwdrivers. Everything else you should be able to remove to lighten up the vehicle.

Some cars have heavy speakers and sound systems. They fill up the backseat as well as the trunk with them. While you may listening to music in your car, these spendy sound systems can be severely hindering your gas mileage. Explore some viable alternatives to get the sound you want without all of the weight from those speakers and amplifiers that go with it.

Hey... ever heard of an iPod?

Excessive chrome may be weighing your vehicle down too. Those accessories may look nice but they're hurting your wallet at the gas pump. Consider removing some of these accessories to save on gas. You can store them in the garage, to put back on later if you decide.

When you are hauling boats and trailers you need to expect to use more fuel. Make sure you don't exceed the weight capacity for your towing vehicle. And using overdrive gears to help lower RPMs and minimize the amount of additional fuel you end up using.

USE THESE EXTREME HYPERMILING TECHNIQUES WITH UTMOST CAUTION!

Hypermiling is defined simply as exceeding the 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 hundred (sometimes thousands) of dollars each year in gas.

Here are four advanced techniques that the top hypermilers do to save gas.

1. The "auto-stop"
The auto-stop method is used to take advantage 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 end up.

This can save a fair amount of gas, 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.

2. Drafting
This maneuver can be dangerous 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 takes advantage of the fact that you will encounter less wind resistance when following a large 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. Of course, use extreme discretion when applying this technique.

3. Find your optimal 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 will need to record data for yourself and figure out where the sweet spot is for your vehicle.

4. Run your car on HHO gas
This technique can have the biggest impact of all on fuel efficiency. With the right HHO instruction guide and a few minor alterations costing about $150, you can hook up a system to turn water and baking soda into HHO gas - 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 is what Hypermiling is all about.

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