Hypermiling Driving Tips
Yesterday we looked at the success that the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid was having in its 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas challenge. Well, the car finally ran out of gas this morning at 5:37 AM in Washington, D.C. The final tally: average of 81.5 mpg, a total travel distance of 1,445.7 miles, and total continuous driving time (minus short stops to switch out drivers) of 69 hours and 22 minutes. All of this was accomplished with one 17.5-gallon tank of 87 octane gasoline.
So do you want to stretch your gas tank to the highest limits of efficiency? Here are a few hypermiling tips and strategies that the Fusion driving team used to take a standard production hybrid rated at 41 mpg and turn it into a 81.5 mpg fuel-efficiency machine:
- Drive slower. The less work your engine does, the less fuel it uses.
- Drive gradually. Whether starting or stopping, there should be no quick changes in speeds (except in a safety situation, obviously)
- Keep your distance. If you stay a reasonable distance away from the car in front of you, you will be able to take more time reacting to their actions, which helps with the gradual starts and stops.
- Coast to stop signs. When you see a stop sign in the distance, don’t wait for a bit and then apply the brakes. Instead, take your foot off the accelerator and just coast. This is particularly helpful at stop lights because they may change to green by the time you get there, eliminating the need to waste fuel accelerating again.
- Keep your windows closed on the highway. It may be nice to have the wind in your face, but that wind is creating drag, which makes your car work faster to move through the air. Keep the windows closed and minimize your drag.
- Turn off the heat and A/C. Depending on the weather, you may ignore this one, but it is a good guideline when the weather is fair. Running a heater or air conditioner takes energy and make your car work harder. Turning them off reduces that workload, thereby saving you fuel.
These tips work on any car, not just hybrids. You don’t have to use them all, but they will help you to get the most out of your gasoline purchases when used wisely.Wayne’s World hd Mrs. Harris movie download
