Are you hypermiling?
I hadn't heard the term "hypermiler" for many years, but a reader sent me a NY Times article about it!
Hypermilers are people who go to great lengths to maximize their gas mileage, and this practice always brings in some new followers when gas prices rise.
Sooo, it makes sense that this is trending again. At least once a week, I see a headline about the price of oil, due to the ongoing conflict with Iran, and the news is always that prices are rising.
Hypermilers vary in their level of dedication; some do things like riding on the white painted stripes on the road, since friction is less there as compared to the pavement.
Many take out any extra cargo to lighten the car, and some even remove interior parts of their cars to lighten the car (like the door liners!)
Some don't use their air conditioning, and that is a step too far for me. I love my air conditioning, and I will happily pay for whatever gas it uses.
I am not a diehard hypermiler, but since I approach all of life with an eye to conserve, I do routinely participate in some hypermiling behavior.
I try to coast instead of braking
Braking does not use gas, to be clear.
But if you power up to a stoplight and then slam on the brakes, you have used unnecessary gas to get to the stoplight (and you have put more wear and tear on your brakes than necessary).
So, I generally try to anticipate where traffic will stop, and I opt to mostly coast to a stop.
Sometimes this wins me an extra bonus: if the stoplight turns green as I'm coasting up to the light, I don't even have to stop all the way, which means my post-light acceleration uses less gas. 😉
I keep my tires inflated
Soft tires offer more resistance, which uses more gas, while properly inflated tires roll more easily on the road.
I don't warm up my car
I know in very cold climates, it is actually necessary to do some extra gymnastics to get a car ready to drive. But in the moderate climate where I live, I have read that it is not necessary and is just a waste of fuel.
(AAA says you only need to let it run for the amount of time it takes you to buckle your seatbelt.)
I do not drive aggressively
Aggressive driving usually involves a lot of acceleration and braking, and that is not a hypermiler's dream. 😉
Driving at a steady speed is much more fuel-efficient.
I don't speed
Going 85 miles an hour on the highway is not a good idea safety-wise, and it also uses more gas. Most cars start to lose fuel efficiency above 50-55 mph (although AAA puts the number at 60 mph).
This practice also prevents speeding tickets; one speeding ticket would quickly erase hypermiling gains!
I drive a hybrid car
I accidentally did this at a good time; I bought my hybrid Civic last December, before gas prices were so high.
Generally, the break-even spot for buying a hybrid or an electric car takes forever to reach, and such is probably the case with my Civic. But...I did not buy it to save on gas. I bought it because it's my dream car!
And since my dream car happens to be a hybrid, it is at least reducing my gas bill; I average 45 miles per gallon, even though most of my miles are city miles.
Long story short: it usually doesn't make financial sense to go buy a new car just to save on gas. But if you are going to be buying a car anyway, it's smart to consider a hybrid.
I don't drive so this is a moot point right now, but when I learn to drive, I will probably take a similar approach:)
Speaking metaphorically, I think I take this approach to life as well! I view things as a marathon rather than a race and do tasks 'steadily'.
I misread the title as “hyper smiling” so I smiled and started reading…and then got confused.
Hope this makes you laugh too!
I love the idea of hypersmiling, Annmarie!
As in, stretching out how long you can smile throughout the day, seeing if it lifts others and your own spirits. Saving energy that might be depleted if we stopped smiling.
Yes to all of these but also batching errands. If I have more than a couple of things to do I will do that. Also use public transportation. I live in the Bay area so if I have a trip to go into San Francisco or Oakland then I will use our train system. We also use public transportation when we are away on trips instead of a rental car.
Years ago, I went on a date with a guy. He picked me up in his car and drove to the restaurant. He kept the windows rolled up and the AC turned off. It was so hot! I asked if we could turn the air on or roll down the windows. He said no, he was trying to save on gas and the AC used too much fuel and having the windows rolled down produced too much drag, which also reduced fuel efficiency. I was 19 and was raised not to contradict men, so I didn’t say anything more. We arrived soaked in sweat and then shivered through dinner in the restaurant’s aggressive AC. I never went on another date with him because I couldn’t imagine ending up with someone that miserly.
I also coast to a stop at red lights when I can. I don't know too much about hypermiling but I try to time it so I don't have to stop all the way and can coast until it turns green.
My beloved 1989 Buick can't use gas containing ethanol (degrades O rings and similar components), so I'm used to being gouged at the pump. That said, I batch errands, and my car is the road trip car because it gets better mileage than my husband's truck (27 to 17 highway). I use cruise control whenever possible to avoid speeding and likewise coast to stops. Insurance is laughably cheap, as are parts, and I basically drive a roll cage (3,000 lbs of steel), so I still consider my loyal steed a win overall.
The best thing for our gas budget, though, is my husband switching to a local job in March. The timing was uncanny, saves him two hours a day commuting, and untold gas and wear on both our vehicles. My beautiful Buick will have its first oil change since April next week!
I love my combo of plug-in hybrid and home solar panels, even though it will be years before either is cost-effective. Like you, I try to avoid abrupt breaking and accelerating and very fast driving. And I try to keep the car charged and to avoid other unnecessary electricity use at home so that as much of my driving as possible is actually powered by my solar panels.