Hypermiling To Save Gas

The present exorbitant price of gasoline has divided Americans into two categories. The first comprises those who moan about it; and cut back on groceries and even delay paying insurance premiums, in order to fill up the tank. The second category consists of those who have decided to do something about it. They are responsible for a new word having entered the American lexicon – hypermiling.

Simply put, hypermiling has the potential to increase gas mileage, even in gas-guzzling SUVs. And it does not involve high technology; simply the application of simple laws of physics that have been around since the beginning of time.

The first law of physics is that every action provokes an equal and opposite reaction. The invisible air that surrounds us is actually a physical entity that exerts a respectable 15 pounds per square inch pressure in every direction. When you drive your car through it, you are, in fact, pushing against it; and it pushes back, slowing you down. If you want to maintain a good speed, therefore, you have to step on the gas and, consequently, use up more of it. It’s as basic as that. Of course, modern car bodies are aeronautically designed; and help to reduce the drag to a considerable extent by allowing the air to flow smoothly over the top of the car. Those sinuous curves aren’t just for sex appeal you know.

Even though aerodynamic car bodies help, you are still pushing a lot of atmosphere. So what do the smart hypermilers do? They get into a straight line behind a few other cars; and let those suckers do most of the work. By the time, the residual atmospheric pressure gets to your vehicle, you are almost coasting. Another tip: it does not make much sense to acquire a seriously curvy car and then stick a cargo rack on top. It kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think. Keep the luggage in the trunk. You’ll save money.

Let us now turn to driving etiquette. Having it not only makes you less obnoxious on the road, it actually saves you money. Aggressive drivers who tailgate the car in front of them find themselves frequently applying the brakes. This is probably the least productive method of expending energy – and using up unnecessary fuel. Studies have shown that drivers apply their brakes between 10 and 25 percent more time than they need to. And what’s wrong with that? Good old physics again. Braking turns motion into heat via the friction of the brakes, and uses excess energy. It may help you vent some of your agro, but can you really afford it?

If drivers leave a big enough buffer between them and the car in front - at least 2 seconds or more - there would be more time to coast before putting on the brakes. It also makes sense, when approaching a red light, to step off the gas and coast to a stop. Speaking of red lights, it does not take a genius to figure out that every time you stop at a red light, or get stuck in traffic, you are burning gas without actually moving. The trick is to try to minimize the time you spend fully stopped with your engine idling. The minute you see brake lights in front of you, take your foot off of the accelerator pedal, or hit the cancel button on your cruise control.

Finally, cars are becoming increasingly sophisticated these days. Formerly, it was the air conditioning that used up a lot of gas energy. Now, there is GPS, temperature control, sensors and what have you. All very useful, no doubt, but don’t forget there is no free lunch. They all add to the gas consumption. So resist the urge to show off and use them only when you really need to.

If all else fails, dump the Hummer and go buy a compact. It may make much less of a statement, but being sexy costs serious money these days.