Hypermiling—Fill the tank and see how long you can make it last.

Properly inflated tires? Check.

Removed unnecessary objects from vehicle to reduce weight load? Check.

Pissed off other drivers? Check.

We’re ready to roll!

I’ve been practicing a number of hypermiling techniques since gas prices first began to rise a couple of years ago. On the highway, mine is the little white car in the right-hand lane (a safe distance) behind a slow moving truck.

On side streets, I’m the driver who doesn’t bother to step on the gas pedal when there is a stop sign half a block away. And oh yeah, I like to coast and can tell just where, and with how much pressure, I’ll have to press the accelerator to gain just enough speed make it to the next intersection and stop—without using my brakes. (Ok, I exaggerate just a tad… sometimes I do have to brake a little.)

The problem is other drivers. There are definitely those who would rather roar past me on the highway or speed toward the next stop sign or red light and wear their brakes out as quickly as possible.

But I’ll be laughing all the way to the gas station.

There are hypermilers who are far more extreme than I am, over-inflating their tires, following too closely behind larger vehicles (like cyclists in the Tour de France or race car drivers on a racecourse), or turning off their engines to coast… I draw the line at those methods because they are not safe.

You don’t have to own a hybrid to get better gas mileage (or kilometrage) from your current vehicle. Just drive the speed limit on the highway, and avoid getting in a situation where you’ll have to use the brakes unexpectedly. After all, any increase in fuel efficiency is a good thing.

More information about hypermiling:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923454/

http://www.hypermilingforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3