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It’s easy, fun and will place $' back in your pocket. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/Resize_of_09_Corolla_Review_-_Passengers_side_rear_in_field_2.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (www.CleanMPG.com) - July 24, 2006

2009 Toyota Corolla XRS – EPA rated 25 mpg – Review Fuel Economy, 62.7_mpg over 554 miles (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13674) while Hypermiling :)

Are you concerned with local smog forming emissions causing health problems for both you and your family? Are you concerned about global warming? Are you concerned with global security? Are you simply interested in placing more of your hard earned $’s back in your pocket at the end of each week to spend as you see fit? If any of the above concerns you, perhaps you should become a hypermiler!

What can you do? The best hypermilers are those that never turn the key. Consider taking a walk, biking, riding public transportation or even take a commercial flight across the country as they will all usually save fuel over turning the key of a conventionally powered automobile.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider the most efficient that will meet your needs. If you are contemplating a mid-sized Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, why not instead consider a much more fuel efficient Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Prius or VW Jetta TDI turbo diesel? Instead of a Ford F150 or Toyota Tundra, will a more fuel efficient small engine equipped Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma make do? In most cases, the answer is yes.

And for everybody else meaning most of us, we can Hypermile!

Section I - What are the EPA City/Highway Tests?
Section II - Basic FE Techniques.
Section III - Intermediate Hypermiling Techniques.
Section IV - Advanced Hypermiling Techniques.

Section I - History and methods of the EPA’s Fuel Economy estimates

The EPA City/Highway fuel economy estimates are now 31 years young and were first implemented near the end of this nation’s first Oil crisis back in 1973/1974. The test(s) themselves were developed in 1972 to simulate a typical LA commute of that era.

EPA based Fuel economy is actually measured under controlled conditions in a laboratory using a standardized Federal Test Procedure (FTP) specified by federal law. Manufacturers test their own vehicles - usually pre-production prototypes - and report the results to EPA. EPA reviews the results and confirms about 10-15 percent of the total at their own National Vehicles and Fuel Emissions Laboratory.

In the laboratory, the vehicle's drive wheels are placed on a machine called a dynamometer that simulates the driving environment. The energy required to move the rollers can be adjusted to account for aerodynamic forces and the particular vehicle's weight.

On the dynamometer, a professional driver runs the vehicle through a standardized driving routine, or schedule, which simulates a “typical” trip in the city or on the highway. The City’s technical name is called FTP75 and the Highway’s test called the HWFET.

City Test (FTP75) represents urban driving, in which a vehicle is started with the engine cold and driven in stop-and-go rush hour traffic. The driving cycle for the test includes idling, and the vehicle averages about 20 mph.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EPA_City_Test_-_New_Pic.gif
City Test - Vehicle speed vs. time in seconds.

Highway Test (HWFET) represents a mixture of rural and interstate highway driving with a warmed-up engine, typical of longer trips in free-flowing traffic. Average test speed is about 48 mph and includes no intermediate stops or idling.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EPA_Hwy_Test_-_New_Pic.gif
Highway Test - Vehicle speed vs. time in seconds.

High Speed Test represents a high speed highway driving cycle up to 80 mph and with higher acceleration rates of almost 3X’s that of the older FTP and HWFET cycles.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EPA_High_Speed_Test_-_New_Pic.gif
High Speed Test - Vehicle speed vs. time in seconds.

A/C High Temperature Test represents a light mixture of city stop and go and low speed highway driving but in 95 degree F temperatures with A/C on MAX.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EPA_AC_Test_-_New_Pic.gif
High Temperature Test in 95 degree F temperatures - Vehicle speed vs. time in seconds.

City Test under Cold Temperatures represents the exact driving schedule as the FTP75 above but with temperatures of 20 degrees F vs. 68 - 86 degrees F and with the Engine temperature cold soaked before start.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EPA_City_Cold_Temp_Test_-_New_Pic.gif
City Test in 20 degree F temperatures - Vehicle speed vs. time in seconds.

Adjusting Estimates

In the early 1980s, an EPA study found that drivers were typically achieving lower fuel economy than predicted by EPA laboratory tests. As a result, EPA required the laboratory-derived city and highway MPG estimates posted on the labels of new vehicles to be adjusted downward by 10% for city estimates and by 22% for highway estimates to better reflect the MPG real-world drivers could expect from 1985 through 2007. For 2008 looking forward, the 3 additional tests cycles will again help bring the estimates closer to real world for most if not all owners and their vehicles.

Fuel Economy Test Schedule Characteristics

Driving Schedules Attributed|City|Highway|High Speed|AC|Cold Temp
Trip Type|Low speeds in stop-and-go urban traffic|Free-flow traffic at highway speeds|Higher speeds; harder acceleration & braking|AC use under hot ambient conditions|City test w/ colder outside temperature
Top Speed|56 mph|60 mph|80 mph|54.8 mph|56 mph
Average Speed|20 mph|48 mph|48 mph|22 mph|20 mph
Max acceleration|3.3 mph/sec|3.2 mph/sec|8.46 mph/sec|5.1 mph/sec|3.3 mph/sec
Simulated Distance|11 miles|10 miles|8 miles|3.6 miles|11 miles
Time|31 minutes|12.5 minutes|10 minutes|9.9 minutes|31 minutes
Stops|23|None|4|5|23
Idling|18% of the time|None|7% of the time|19% of the time|18% of the time
Engine Temp at Startup *|Cold|Warm|Warm|Warm|Cold
Lab Temperature|68 - 86 degrees F|68 - 86 degrees F|68 - 86 degrees F|95 degrees F|20 degrees F
Vehicle Air conditioning|Off|Off|Off|On|Off
* A vehicle's engine doesn't reach maximum fuel efficiency until it is warm.

As most here understand, some of the FTP75 and HWFET test characteristics are almost unbelievable given what most of us here are used to driving in and through on a daily basis for any number of reasons. Despite the EPA’s attempt to Band Aid over some of these problems, the std. FTP75 and HWFET (pre-2008) fuel economy tests still suffer from several fundamental flaws, including the following:

Underestimating highway speeds - The EPA highway cycle assumes an average speed of 48 mph and a top speed of 60 mph. Many state highway speed limits are set at or above 65 mph. Government data indicates that fuel economy can drop by 17% for modern vehicles that drive at 70 mph instead of 55 mph. Even at 65 mph, fuel economy can drop by nearly 10% compared to driving at 55 mph.


Underestimating the severity of and amount of time spent in stop-and-go urban congestion - Congestion is getting worse. In 1982, congestion added about 7 hours per year to the average person’s annual travel, by 2001, congestion effects had nearly quadrupled to 26 hours per year. While EPA data shows that we spend about 62% of our time in urban driving, EPA still assumes only 55%.


Assuming very gentle acceleration and braking - the maximum acceleration rate in the EPA test cycles is 3.3 mph per second, about the same as going from zero to 60 mph in about 18 seconds. The average new car or truck can accelerate nearly twice as fast. While most consumers don’t use all the power in their vehicle, EPA data shows that people accelerate as fast as 15 mph per second, nearly 5 times the EPA tests. In 1996 EPA established a new driving cycle (US06) that includes tougher acceleration and deceleration and higher speeds, but this cycle is not used for fuel economy purposes.


Neglecting the wide range of outdoor temperatures experienced in the real world - The EPA tests are performed between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Most states frequently experience weather conditions outside this range and fuel economy can be significantly affected as a result.


Failing to reflect the use of air conditioning - Fuel economy tests are run with the air conditioning off, while over 99% of all cars and trucks come with air conditioning. In 1996 EPA established a new driving cycle (SC03) that included air conditioning, but this cycle is not used for fuel economy purposes.


Overestimating trip lengths- The EPA city test cycle is 7.5 miles long. EPA’s own data, however, indicate that average trip lengths may be only 5 miles long, with typical trips as short as 2.5 miles. Shorter trips often mean lower fuel economy because the engine does not have time to warm up and operate efficiently.


Ignoring advances in automotive technology - Over the past 20-30 years, vehicle technology has changed significantly and new technologies are continuing to enter the market. Many of the factors listed above affect vehicles with new technologies differently than they affect today’s conventional cars. Therefore, EPA’s 30 + year old test procedures and the concept of a new set of “adjustments” are even more ineffective for new technologies. This will make it difficult for anyone to compare a hybrid to a non-hybrid.


Ignoring heavier vehicles - Fuel economy information is not required for nearly 6 million light duty trucks on the road today. These are SUVs, pickups, and vans rated above 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight. A recent J. D. Power survey found that the top complaint with the Hummer H2 was its poor fuel economy - consumers just did not know what they were getting into. And if you are a farmer or small business owner who needs a big pickup, you are left in the dark.
With the above, you should have a better understanding of both the history and the problems associated with the past EPA city and highway fuel economy estimates. With the 3 new tests added for the 08 EPA test cycles and accompanying estimates looking forward, the new EPA numbers should place 90% of the driving public into a category that matches what they actually receive.

I am sure everyone here has read an article or two where the author or publication states hybrids do not receive anywhere near their EPA ratings. Given the above, does it surprise anyone that no other automobile does either? Some automobiles do better than others of course but overall, an individual car owner whose automobile is rated at an EPA combined of 25 MPG and receives 20% less from it at 20 MPG is in the exact same situation as that of a Prius II owner whose EPA combined is 55 (Pre 08 specs) and receives 44 MPG. Sound familiar? Individual #1 is missing the mark by just 5 mpg so it does not seem like a lot whereas the Prius II owner misses by the same percentage but 11 MPG less than 55 is a larger number but not a larger percentage. I hear the same thing all the time and all I can do is shake my head and wonder how these individuals can stand receiving just 20 MPG or less from whatever they are driving vs. the Prius II’s 44 if they were to drive without a care in the world. Because of an Insight’s, Prius I’s/II’s, HCH-I’s/II’s, and FEH’s built in Fuel Consumption Displays, we have a very distinct advantage over the EPA test(s) and the individual receiving just 20 MPG from his or her 25 MPG EPA rated automobile. We have a multitude of feedback instruments so as to adjust our driving habits to improve upon our results segment after segment, commute after commute, and/or tank after tank. Remember that if you were to take a brand new Prius II, HCH-II, or FEH and run it through the exact same accelerations, decelerations, stops, and starts in the same temperature band that the EPA city/highway tests dictate, you would receive almost exactly the same MPG as the EPA city/highway estimates posted on your cars when you first purchased them.

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Section II - Basic FE saving techniques

Now that we have a good feel for what others perceive as a problem without knowing what they themselves are achieving, let us begin to consider the ways to match if not beat the EPA estimates.

Do not accelerate quickly or brake heavily: This reduces fuel economy by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. EPA tests do not account for this kind of vigorous driving.


Do not idle if not necessary: Decreases average FE. The EPA city test includes idling and in many cases, it is not necessary. Consider shutting down your vehicle if stopped for more than 7-seconds as that is all the fuel it takes to restart a modern day, fuel-inject engine.


Avoid driving at higher speeds: This increases aerodynamic drag (wind resistance) and mechanical friction which reduces fuel economy. The EPA test accounts for aerodynamic drag up to highway speeds of 60 mph, but most exceed that speed far more often then necessary.


Cold weather and frequent short trips reduce fuel economy, since your engine doesn't operate efficiently until it is warmed up. In colder weather, it takes longer for your engine to warm, and on short trips, your vehicle operates a smaller percentage of time at the desired temperature. Note: Letting your car idle to warm-up does not help your fuel economy, it actually uses more fuel and creates more pollution. Drive to your farthest destination first and then as you are heading home, stop at the closer destinations in order from furthest to closest as the car is warmed up for longer portions of your drive.


Remove Cargo or cargo racks: Cargo and/or racks on top of your vehicle (e.g., cargo boxes, canoes, etc.) increase aerodynamic drag and lower FE. Vehicles are not tested with additional cargo on the exterior.


Do not tow unless absolutely necessary: Towing a trailer or carrying excessive weight decreases fuel economy. Vehicles are assumed to carry three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo in the EPA test cycles.


Minimize running mechanical and electrical accessories: Running mechanical and electrical accessories (e.g., air conditioner) decreases fuel economy. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce MPG by roughly 5-30% compared to not using it.


Avoid driving on hilly or mountainous terrain if possible: Driving hilly or mountainous terrain or on unpaved roads reduces fuel economy most of the time. The EPA test assumes vehicles operate over flat ground.


Do not use 4-wheel drive if it is not needed. 4-Wheel drive reduces fuel economy. Four-wheel drive vehicles are tested in 2-wheel drive. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder and increases crankcase losses.
Maintain your Automobile: A poorly tuned engine burns more fuel, so fuel economy will suffer if it is not in tune. Improperly aligned or under inflated tires can lower fuel economy, as can a dirty air filter or brake drag.

Try to purchase high BTU content gasoline if available: Fuels vary in energy content and some fuels contain less energy than others. Using oxygenated fuels or reformulated gasoline (RFG), can cause a small decrease (1-3%) in fuel economy. In addition, the energy content of gasoline varies from season to season. Typical summer conventional gasoline contains about 1.7% more energy than typical winter conventional gasoline.

Inherent Variations in Vehicles: Small variations in the way vehicles are manufactured and assembled can cause MPG variations among vehicles of the same make and model. Usually, differences are small, but a few drivers will see a marked deviation from the EPA estimates.

Engine Break-In: New vehicles will not obtain their optimal fuel economy until the engine has broken in. This may take 3 to 5 thousand miles.

Speed Destroys FE!

I want to bring to everyone’s attention actual Speed vs. FE data many here may not be familiar with in a number of high FE hybrid vehicles. With them, I believe you will see why it is so easy to achieve and exceed the FE posted on the side of your new car when cruising down the roadway.

Prius II (EPA city/highway: 60/51 mpg) Constant speed tests - MPG Results

Conditions: 73 degrees F - Tire pressures 47 psi - no A/C - 1.0 mile distance at steady state speed.

With Cruise Control||
Run #|50 mph|60 mph
1|63.4 mpg|55.9 mpg
2|74.5 mpg|65.3 mpg
3|64.9 mpg|60.9 mpg
||
Averages|67.6 mpg|60.7 mpg

HCH-II (EPA city/highway: 49/51 mpg) - Constant speed tests - MPG Results

Conditions: High 70 degree temps - Tire pressures 40 psi - no A/C - 1.0 mile distance at steady state speed.

With Cruise Control||||
Run #|30 mph|40 mph|50 mph|60 mph
1|84.3 mpg|89.3 mpg|69.1 mpg|56.4 mpg
2|86.5 mpg|89.0 mpg|64.8 mpg|48.5 mpg
3|85.1 mpg|90.7 mpg|67.3 mpg|50.5 mpg
||||
Averages|85.3 mpg|89.7 mpg|67.1 mpg|51.8 mpg

Ford Escape Hybrid (EPA city/highway: 36/31 mpg) - Constant speed tests - MPG Results

Conditions: Mid 90 degree temps - Tire pressures 52 psi - no A/C - 1.0 mile distance at steady state speed.

With Cruise Control||||
Run #|30 mph|40 mph|50 mph|60 mph
1|56.8 mpg|56.2 mpg|51.2 mpg|42.0 mpg
2|62.3 mpg|56.0 mpg|51.8 mpg|42.5 mpg
3|57.8 mpg|56.0 mpg|51.1 mpg|42.5 mpg
||||
Averages|59.0 mpg|56.1 mpg|51.4 mpg|42.3 mpg

The key here is that a well setup Prius II can achieve about 65 MPG between 50 and 60 mph, a setup HCH-II can achieve about 90 MPG between 30 and 40 mph, and a very well setup FEH can achieve almost 60 MPG between 30 and 40 mph just by using CC (Cruise Control)!

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Section III – Intermediate hypermiling techniques

Vehicle Setup

Tire pressures are a very important key to higher fuel economy. The higher the pressure, the lower the rolling resistance, the higher the fuel economy. The absolute minimum you should use is the driver’s side door or owners manual recommended tire inflation criteria. This is what the EPA and your car manufacturer sets tire pressures to during the EPA city/highway testing. MAX sidewall is what I would recommend for most as it is well within the safety limits of your car and tire and allows better FE than the pressure listed in the driver’s side door. I can discuss but cannot personally recommend upwards of 25% higher than MAX sidewall as there are legal constraints we all have to live with. That being said, 50 + #’s on a MAX Sidewall rated tire leads to even higher FE. Pros, higher FE, less tread wear, more even tread wear across the treads width, shorter braking distances in a variety of conditions, and in many cases, even better handling. Cons, higher NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness).

Oil types and amounts are another important key to higher FE . A proper amount of low kinematic viscosity oil can do wonders for not only longevity of your ICE but the FE your automobile may be capable of. You should use oil with a viscosity that is within the band of your automobiles lubrication requirements. That being said, not all oils are the same. Many automobiles that spec 5W-20 can also use Synthetic 0W-20. Mobil1 0W-20 has the lowest kinematic viscosity as well as superior wear and breakdown properties vs. ANY non-synthetic I know of. About that level … I recommend that instead of filling the case up to the high level mark that you instead use just enough oil to bring the level up to between the high and low marks as specified in your owners manual. You lose capacity in case of a leak and have a very slight increase in oil temps but gain a slight amount of FE with a slightly lowered strain on the ICE’s frictional components.

Vehicle fuel economy feedback is possibly the most important fuel saving item one can add to their car or truck if it not already equipped. Most CleanMPG’ers see an approximate 15% increase once an add-on ScanGauge for 1996 and newer vehicles is installed. Some of the more advanced highway techniques including SHM for Toyota Hybrids and SAHM for many Honda’s make this device almost a necessity.

Techniques

RR: Ridge Riding. The safest way to make you stand out and noticed! What I would like most here to use RR for is the safety aspect. RR helps wake up drivers behind you as you appear far different just by your placement on the road than anyone they may have encountered today. This “Wake Up” places them into a more defensive driving mode which is only to your benefit as they pull around to pass if traveling above the limits far sooner than they may have if you were not RR. In inclement weather, you ride the center and white line edges to alleviate some of the drag caused during rain and/or wet conditions. In most cases during rain, the center crown or ridge will have the least depth of water to plow though as will the right or left edges of your lane. You can see the changing depths ahead and adjust your track as conditions change/allow. You want to ride the ridges whenever conditions make it possible to do so. In the snow, you will generally want to ride the most traveled tracks as they may be clear of snow, slush, water vs. riding the lanes with a snow cover or accumulation. Pros, maximizes FE in the worst conditions. Cons, requires quite a bit of concentration to maintain the wheels within a tight area of roadway.

Three Lights out or distant Anticipatory Focus: When driving in any environment, continuously scan the road far ahead looking for situations or obstacles which may impede your steady state progress. In the heavier suburban or city environment, I recommend looking ahead 3 lights. Not only will this give you an advantage of light timing but you will also have a much heightened awareness of the traffic and terrain conditions ahead, to the side, and even behind!

DWL: Driving w/ Load: Instead of relying on CC (Cruise Control) to maintain speed, you rely on your iFCD (Instantaneous Fuel Consumption Display) and accelerator pedal for those automobiles that have them to stay locked in at a given fuel economy. One example would be when climbing an overpass. Instead of holding a steady speed up, over, and down the other side, you allow speed to droop as you climb while maintaining load or FE on the ICE and climb back to initial target after the decline on the backside. Begin the overpass climb at 65 mph, drop off speed as you climb, reach 62 mph at the crest, increase speed on the decline back to 65 mph. The technique depends on elevation deltas and traffic conditions. This can be simulated in a non iFCD equipped Accord or other automobile by locking in the accelerator pedal when approaching the overpass. Just hold the accelerator steady into, up, over, and down the back side at the same exact angle while arriving at the same initial target speed after the overpass has been cleared. There are slight accelerator pedal changes that can maximize the technique for those with iFCD’s but the locked down accelerator will work well for those just starting out and with a lack of an iFCD. An even easier way to understand the technique is to drive like a roller coaster coasts over the peaks and through the troughs. Pros are increased FE over any small terrain delta with a minimum of work. Cons are that there is thought and user input involved as well as slightly lowering your overall average speed to a given Point B.

DWB: Driving w/out Brakes (or Driving w/ Buffers): In its simplest form, you drive as if you do not have brakes. If you have degraded or no brakes for whatever reason, you will increase buffers in traffic like you may never have considered previously. In heavy traffic and traffic jam conditions, this will allow you to maintain some speed before throwing away energy to heating up the pads/shoes. With larger buffers comes the ability to maintain a very slow speed while most others are in a stop and go jam. You can use this in any traffic tie up or heavy congestion. Pros include higher FE, less wear on the ICE and braking systems, and easier on your mental state. Cons include drivers near may continuously fill your buffers and thus you will again back off to recreate them. It may actually tax your mental state depending on your aggressiveness.

PP: Potential Parking: When entering a parking lot of any description, seek out the highest spot in said parking area. What this encompasses is looking for the highest elevation (Potential) and usually FAS’ing to bleed off speed so you DWB into said spot. On egress, you have a downhill slope to help you accelerate in a FAS or with ICE-On thus increasing your overall average FE. Pros, decreased fuel consumption and usually easier egress as you are usually in the back of the mall, grocery store, whatever. Cons, usually farther from the store entrance and thus a longer walk.

Face-Out: As described. When parked, you want your egress to be as clean as possible. Instead of ICE-On, Reverse, Brake, Drive, pull forward, you pull in to whatever parking lot, area, Face-Out. What it does is eliminate Reverse or any unintended fuel use to spin around. Some can use this technique even from their home with limited or no fuel consumption with a FAS based turn around Face-Out. If your drive allows (mine does) you are in a FAS coming into your drive, pull into the highest spot, coast back while spinning the car around 180 degrees to a slightly lower spot. You are now Face-Out for your next days or drives egress. Even if you do not FAS, it is best to spin your car around when it is already warmed up than in the morning from dead cold. Your fuel consumption at dead cold is much higher than when warm. Pros, lower fuel consumption. Cons, you have to be careful that someone would not pull in behind and limit your ability to load your trunk.

Rabbit Timing: Assume a stop light ½ a mile ahead. You see Stale Green (Green for a very long time ready to turn Yellow) or already red and will not change until a car comes up upon it and trips the sensors in the pavement to change it back to green. You want to have any traffic around you (the Rabbit) trip the weight sensor before you are anywhere near that light so you are unimpeded with a green light by the time you reach it.

Alternate Routes: If you have a choice between a 65 mph limited high speed route w/ few lights to work or a 40 mph limited route with some lights to work, which one do you take? The 40 mph limited route will give you many more opportunities to achieve FE far above the EPA ratings of your hybrid as seen in the speed tests above. The techniques you can use to maximize FE by P&G or FAS are just 2 examples of many.

Smart-Braking
Incline: When coming to a red light or stop sign on an incline heading upwards, you want to travel as far up the hill or ascent as possible before stopping. Starting from a dead stop while facing an uphill climb is the absolute worst FE scenario imaginable. SB on an incline can help reduce the FE hit if performed properly.


Descent: When coming to a red light on a descent, you want to stop well before the actual light or traffic ahead so as to use the potential still available to help you accelerate back up to speed through the light. There will have to be at least one car well out in front in the case of weight sensored lights so as to trip them for you so you can glide/coast down the incline and possibly across the intersection before having to restart your car for propulsion again.


Slowing for/with traffic or traffic signals: Have ever heard that if you move half the distance to the goal line again and again you will never reach said goal line? The same can be said for your speed when coming to a stop. What you want to attempt is to continue slowing before you actually stop until the light changes to green and you can re-accelerate without having to do so from a stop.

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Section IV - Advanced hypermiling techniques

FAS: Forced Autostop in any vehicle: A Honda hybrid will AS (Autostop) in various scenarios although it is very limiting to a given condition. Too high a speed, too cold, not enough SoC (state of Charge), not enough speed since last AS, Defrost or A/C on except for the AH and HCH-II in specific conditions, etc. will not allow AS … Forcing an AS in any vehicle (other than an HSD equipped hybrid), aka FAS, takes these limits out of the equation. Shift to N, let the Tach stabilize, key back to IG-I (shuts down the ICE and electronics), key back to IG-II to reboot the electronics and coast to a stop or pre-determined lower speed depending on conditions. Recover by starting up ICE via key to IG-III, release to IG-II, and engage transmission with a rev match to continue on your way. Pros include a very noticeable increase in FE over any short distance trip and is required in a few areas of the US as well as much of Europe, ie. sitting at a stop sign for > 15 seconds or at a stop for > 5 minutes … Cons include powerless coast, power brake assist is lost after a few applications, power steering is lost although at speed, you do not need it, is illegal in some locales, and possibly both gear reduction starter wear from excessive ICE starts and pre-mature wear from re-engagements of the transmission at speed.

P&G: Pulse and Glide - See the following article for more details: P&G plus Warp Stealth in the Prius II for maximum FE … (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1224) This technique used to increase the FE of any automobile under the right conditions significantly above your automobiles EPA city/highway rating. In a nutshell, it includes a FAS in many hybrid and non-hybrid automobiles to a lower target speed (some hybrids can be influenced into this mode of operation with the right application of multiple accelerator pedal inputs), reigniting the ICE, re-engagement of the Tranny with rev match, and re-acceleration to a higher target speed, repeat. Pros include maximizing FE in a low speed suburban or city environment (speed limits less than 45 mph). Cons include lowering your overall average speed (more time to get to point B), a lot of work given the undulations depending on the type of hybrid or non-hybrid you are driving, and both gear reduction starter and pre-mature transmission wear from re-engagements at speed depending on the automobile being analyzed.

HS-P&G: High Speed P&G: The P&G technique was originally created to pull extreme FE from the HSD and eCVT equipped hybrids (Toyota’s and Ford’s) below 41 mph. The HS-P&G technique is used for many Honda hybrids and all non-hybrids if their transmissions can be re-engaged at speed. Instead of a 39 - 32 mph std. P&G range (just an example), you can step up the speed range to 70 - 55 mph (another simple example). Pros are increasing FE depending on temperature, weather, traffic, and road terrain conditions. Cons include lower overall average speed, more work than any other technique other than the warm-up P&G, safety issues with a powerless Glide (see above), caveats in regards to different manufacturers if this is even possible or not … and when applied incorrectly, can actually lower your overall FE.

Warm up P&G: Exactly as stated. During warm up, your automobiles FE is at its absolute worst (open loop ops, high RR (rolling mechanical resistances) in colder temps). To attempt to alleviate some of the FE hit, you begin P&G’ing almost immediately but at lower and increasing speed ranges. P&G speed ranges are significantly reduced and stepped up as you arrive to higher speed arterials, state routes, and then Interstates and highways. Here is just one example as you are leaving your home via the subdivision or local street when conditions allow … A range example could include 0 - 15 mph, FAS to 10, 10 - 20 mph, FAS to 15, 15 - 30 mph, FAS to 20, 20 - 40 mph, FAS to 30, 30 - 50 mph, FAS to 40 … Again, this was just 1 example of what may be performed under a specialized local driving condition and temps until the automobile in question is up to full temperature. Pros include alleviating the warm up FE hit to far above what would normally be possible and help to maintain your overall FE even though you are in effect warming up the car. Cons include the most work of any technique posted so far, a lot of wear on a cold ICE, lengthier warm up time, and in some cases, more emissions due to the NOx spike on multiple re-ignitions. All other ICE-Off caveats also apply.

Prius II SHM: See the following thread for more details: New Prius - "Super Highway Mode" Technique (SHM) (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6179). Besides P&G and WS as listed previously, this is used to maximize the Fuel Economy of the Prius II in a lower speed highway cruise.

HCH-II Glide, EV Assist and SAHM.: See Tarabell’s Adapting Basic Hypermiling Techniques to the HCH-II (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1306) and Manuel Santos’ HCH-II - SAHM "Super Highway Mode" (70-90 MPG) (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14295) article and thread for more details.

FEH LGA to N (Low Gear Advantage to Neutral) and DGE (Delayed Glide Entry): See Gary G’s article, Hypermiling the Ford Escape Hybrid ... (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=350) and the thread, New Ford Escape Hybrid – Glide technique… (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12811) for more details on how to maximize the FEH’’s capability.

So what do you do with all this entire list of techniques? What we are attempting to achieve is changing the EPA’s 11 mile city test so as to travel the same 11 miles but under our constraints, not theirs. The EPA test has you come to 23 complete stops. We are going to try and achieve 0 stops over those same 11 miles! In the highway test, we are using a far superior setup and DWL within DWB to achieve greater than the EPA highway test across its 10 mile distance. In other words, we are changing the rules of the City and Highway test to match our own much higher FE goals, not the EPA’s lowly ones!

Each of the techniques above has a risk reward basis to them. If you do attempt to use any of the above techniques, I would very much like you to try them one at a time on a relatively desolate roadway so as to cause the least amount of impact to others while learning and practicing. Once the new technique has become completely second nature, then and only then should you begin to become acquainted to the next technique. After all the tools are understood, practiced, and have become second nature, you can use those that are applicable to a particular automobile for a given traffic condition to maximize your own FE.

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Conclusion:

Whether you choose to use some or all of the above techniques in combination in a given driving condition is up to you but if you do use what is applicable to your particular automobile in a given speed range in a given traffic condition, beating the EPA is an easy thing to achieve and the actual results will literally astound you as you will see below!

Honda Insight - Sustained 150 + mpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/Honda_Insight-150_0_mpg.jpg

Honda Civic iCDTi - Sustained 135 + mpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/2007_Civic_iCDTi_Hatch_-_138_3_mpg_-_23_miles_to_the_Interstate.jpg

Prius II - Sustained 100 + mpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/504/Prius_II_World_Record.jpg

HCH-II - Sustained 100 + mpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/504/103_0_mpg_19_5_miles.jpg

And one of my favorites, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV. Not only is this an extremely capable mid-sized SUV, it can achieve FE most would not have believed just 2 years ago using some of the exact techniques presented above.

FEH - Sustained 70 + mpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/504/Gary_G_70_3_MPG_FEH.jpg

This is a working document with even more to be added in the future. Stay tuned ;) If you would like to copy excerpts, please link back to the original article if at all possible. Thanks to everyone involved with for making this article possible.

Great job! A very comprehensive presentation of the whys, hows, and wherefores of hypermiling. This would make the basis for an excellent presentation to any FE interested group. Thank you!

Wow. This is simply amazing material!

Xcel, would it be sufficient to place you perpetually in the altar of hypermiling, so that all may worship you ? ;)


Many thanks;

MSantos

Hi HyChi and MSantos:

___All I can add is a sincere thanks to the both of you.

___Believe me, this work came about from a thousand others before me and to name just a few that are/were directly responsible for my hypermile upbringing, consider looking up some of the past work posted by a few of the following individuals who I would like to personally thank for making an article like this as factually and historically relevant as I could possibly make it. Without all of those listed below, an article like this would be just another writeup to be lost into the annals of time. With that, here are my hero’s for pushing tanks day after day, week, after week, month after month, and year after year no matter the weather and traffic conditions.

Rick Reese, Billy, Calpod, Chisight, Rick, Nemystic, Kip Munro, Randall, Justin and Bradlee Fons (all of IC fame), Krousdb, Dave Bassage, Hobbit, Bill G, Wayne Brown, Andy Roberts, and Doug Schaefer (all extraordinary Prius II owner/drivers), Hot Georgia, Lakedude, Laurieaw (all extraordinary HCH-I owner/drivers), Tarabell, GreenandBlue, Kenny, and NASAngineer (all extraordinary HCH-II owner/drivers), GoNavy and Bar10dah (both extraordinary AH drivers), Gary G, Nitramjr, Pravus Prime, Gpsman1, and DebbieKatz (all extraordinary FEH owner/drivers), and a ton of non-hybrid drivers including Brick, Phil, Psy, Diamond Larry, Basjoos, and MetroMPG as well as a million others who post daily in forums such as ours discovering new techniques and or methods to improve upon what some might have thought unbelievable just a week, month, year, or even a decade ago!

___In addition, ongoing results along with future techniques yet to be discovered will be discovered and far surpassed by the likes of Justin Fons (our 17 year old hypermiler out of Milwaukee) and Randall out of Oklahoma as time goes by.

___I still have plenty of editing as I have already seen 3 or 4 issues (mistakes) to take care of as well as adding a bunch of pic sequences and Tony Schaefer’s lmpg graph showing a very clear winter to summer decrease to increase to decrease in FE due to temperatures and conditions alone. It should be an interesting article as both updates and time goes by.

___Good Luck and thank you both.

___Wayne

As an edit, I know I missed a ton of individuals in the list above that I should have posted so please don’t hold this old man to the fire for that oversight :(

Thank you Wayne.

On the subject of winter related FE issues: I am actually all geared up to observe my FE during the summer and upcoming Winter months. Event though, central Canada is not New Mexico, we do get hot months sometimes surpassing 44C (111F). Conversely, in the Winter we get some of the coldest too. At times dipping below -45C(-49F) and lasting for months.

As you can see, we have a potential temperature oscillations that approaches 100C (150F). I am also making an effort not to add any more FE techniques to my portfolio just to reduce the statistical error as a function of time. I should mention that a local Taxi cab company is interested in my results as they are hoping to increase their fleet to include HCH-II's as well. They currently operate an OK number of Prius-II vehicles (78 total) - but the Prius' inital cost/prices are not helping their operational bottom line.

In other words, any data I collect will be available if it is of any value. ;)

Cheers;


Manuel

Another great piece of work Wayne. No one can say this site doesn't have the best information available.

It seems their is no place to get a comprehensive working article on the net about FE, but your changing all of that here on CleanMPG.

Phillip (VietVet) posted about your article on GH which I had already read the first part about the EPA and stopped. For some reason, I thought the article was about the EPA only and didn't go any further. After Phillip posted his comments, I knew there was more to it, and the article had some very interesting information I missed. You may want to add something in the beginning like if your not interested in the EPA, skip to section B How To Hypermile to Beat the EPA. I would hate to see someone like myself miss the most interesting halve. Maybe its just me, but I just hate the EPA for not doing more for the enviroment.

This article goes into some real life choices (pro's and con's) of how to improve FE, and I'm adding to my list more, thanks to you.

GaryG

Hi Gary:

___I took your advice and split the article up into 3 sections. Because the presentation was live, links would not have worked but in the article, they will. I have to link your FEH article, Tarabell’s HCH-II article, and the P&G article into this one which should be completed later on this evening. I still have a lot of detail to add as time permits over the next few days/weeks.

___Thanks for both the FEH speed data and the critique! It is too bad you could not have made it to HF 2006 given you were mentioned by name more then once in front of a decent sized crowd ;) Maybe next year, right? I only saw one individual sleeping through the second presentation so it must not have been too dull and boring :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I’m so glad to finally see this all down in one place. Doesn’t matter how it's sliced, the concept is simple: “here’s the EPA test conditions, assumptions and limitations – knowing what they are, you can beat them, and here’s the tactics”

I especially like the smart braking part. Intuitive, but I’d never have thought of these.

I only saw one individual sleeping through the second presentation so it must not have been too dull and boring
Aww don't be hard on Tiger. With all the day’s excitement plus having to clean that bug off his car... ;)

Nice pull-together of all that stuff. It definitely needs an
excess apostrophe removal pass or two -- that really leaps out
at me. I've also got some thoughts about terminology, but I
should probably bang them in later as I'm about to fall asleep
head-down into my keyboard right now.
.
_H*

go hypermiling!!! a sport that one can respect because in the end, its a healthy competition anyone can apply into, and the benifits of being invovled greatly teaches one or another what real efficency is truly about!

thank you for those who inspired me! who knew driving for efficency was a league of its own!?!

Its all in the mind ~~

Nice writup! Clear, concise, and accessible. That's what it takes.

Wayne,

I have some xcel charts showing monthly, seasonal and simply mpg over 2 years along with a rolling 10 tank mpg avg (this is typically 4000 to 6000 miles it varies by season). My data since May 2006 should probably be ignored because my tire pressure was increased from 42/40 to 57/55 and I started trying to do some casual hypermiling. The charts can be found at the link below:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/135

Dennis

Hi Dcoyne:

___I have yet to post Tony Schaefer’s as promised but will later today. We have an ~ 100 degree F temperature delta on the extreme with a std. 50 degree F delta being the norm between January and August here in Northern Illinois. His LMPG shows an ~ 22 mpg delta due to the temps alone and his own tank data show the rise and fall quite dramatically as to how temperatures were effecting his FE over the last 2 years as well. I have the same for my own “Little Red Beauty” with an ~ 35 mpg delta between these two months but since she is retired, I wanted to use a fresh data set.

___Here is his data that I have yet to incorporate into the article directly … The blue to pinkish/red shaded area are temps and the sharp blue line is his tanks actual FE. They are almost in lock step as well as showing how hard a hit we take in the winter and how nice it can be in the summer.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/Tony_S_-_Year_round_Tank_Data.jpg
Tony Schaefer’s Prius II - FE data vs. Temperature

___Good Luck

___Wayne

With the EPA revising their standards to be more "realistic" the new way to beat the EPA will be to get in your car and not drive like a madman/woman.

What are you guys going to do when because of lower standards nearly everyone is a "hypermiler"?

Perhaps a few new titles like:

Hypermiler-

-Ultimate
-Elite
-Excellent
-Good
-Fair

(old EPA standard)

-Generic
-only because the standards were relaxed
-Guzzler
-SUV
-Hot rod

(new EPA standard)

-Trailer towing award
-are you trying to do this bad?
-GPM

Hi Jason:

___We are discussing this in detail in other threads. More then likely, we will keep the same but under the 08 forward specs, you will need to achieve 125, 150, and 175% of the EPA combined to meet the same criteria.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

How does one 'rev match' when re-engaging an automatic transmission in a non-hybrid? I'm a newbie just trying nICE-On, and don't want to buy a new tranny to save a few $ on fuel. The tach is hyper sensitive to throttle in neutral...

Appreciate any guidance.

Hi KSStathead:

___If your Auto can be flat towed, you can FAS. If not, I would not :(

___The way you rev match is upon re-ignition of the ICE, your car will probably rev up to 1,500 - 2,000 RPM This is your opportunity to have the Auto Tranny pick up load while rev matched to the ICE in some respects. This is not perfect as Auto’s are not manuals but some are manumatics and they can be quasi rev-matched.

___Please understand the other caveats that apply in a FAS as well as practice some of the other advanced techniques on desolate country roads before performing them in traffic for safety’s sake …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Vehicle is 03 Tacoma which according to a motor home magazine site is not among vehicles that can be flat towed. Not trying to Fas anyway, but only coast with nICE-On. Any problem with that? Is that helpful to mileage? Any rev match comments/advice when not relighting ICE?

Hi KSStathead:

___I would like for you to post this in the FE forums as that is where it can be picked up on the best. For now, a NICE-On may or may not be problematic but without the flat tow capability, I would be careful as this is not just about lubrication requirements. The whole issue can get ugly real quick and I would tend to side with the longevity aspects. An 03 Tacoma w/ an Auto that cannot be flat towed may just be one of those vehicles you don’t want to toy with. I am just not sure nor would I be willing to find out if it were mine.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

My hybrid gets much better mileage when the batteries are fully charged. While I'm at work, my hybrid sits out in the sun all day. Why doesn't the roof of my car have a solar panel that would charge my batteries? This way, when I get in to go home, my batteries are fully charged and I can make it home on far less gas. It would also be getting a trickle charge while driving it.

Also, I would really rather plug in my car at home at night so that it is fully charged in the morning. I won a Lexus LX 400h. Is there a kit to either plug in the batteries at night, or better yet, to add a second set of batteries for even more electric and less gas?

Hi Mitlynch:

___Two reasons. Price and the amount of power you could pull from a panel would be almost miniscule by comparison to what is needed to bring her SoC back to full with a panel that could fit on top of the car. There are many Prius II and some FEH PHEV conversions but I have not read of a PHEV conversion for an RXh yet …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hello, Wayne !
I've been here (off and on) reading the comments...and noting one huge MPG parameter which no one knows to address. All seem to recognize the importance of tire pressure, hot vs. cold engine temp., oil viscosity, driving cycles, terrain, driver temperament ... and on and on.

The parameter not addressed? I almost hesitate to bring it up ... due to its "volatile" nature and its subtle but direct effect on FE. This parameter is gasoline quality.

Do you know exactly what it is you are putting in your gas tank when you refuel? I didn't...until I started an investigation into the origin of the "oily" smell of pump gas! I first noticed the smell ... faint at first ... in the early '70s ( about the time of the Arab Oil Embargo...remember?). Long story short - I developed a technique for separating the unknown halves ( volatile / non-volatile ) of this gasoline. Assuming gasoline was a derivative of crude oil, and crude oil is not a fuel, I questioned "What makes the higher distillate of this 'oil' into a fuel (gasoline)?"

Another long story short ... I found pump gas is composed of one part gasoline (the volatile part) and one part non-gasoline (the non-volatile part); this mixture separation is not apparent without physically "taking the fuel apart" ... as I did. The numbers were / are dramatic! What the numbers say is : Pump gas is one part diesel fuel and one part gasoline. How do I know it is diesel (and its components)? I did the only thing I know how to do in my crude (?) analysis...burn some of this "residue"! After managing to light a test sample, I noticed a sooty cloud given off...and, catching a whiff of this cloud,I detected the aroma of a diesel bus! Unmistakable!

This explains the "oily" smell of pump gas. How "big" is each part? It varies with octane and...over time, it changes.

There are many question concerning the "whys" and "hows" of the presence of this mix.
I have several... yet, EPA knows of this...having decreed the gasoline suppliers must reduce the volatility of their product ... so we helpless sheep can pump our own gas in a safe(r) manner. And, we must not forget the profit margin (obscene?) part of the equation. Oil is cheaper than further cracking to straight gasoline.

Can you still get good MPG with diesel in your gas? Obviously...but I wonder, how much better can you get with just gasoline? Hmmm.... It is a sign of the times...sheep can't think for themselves, right?:confused:
- Whitevette

It may not be addressed in the original article because it is very hard to do anything about the gas you use. Some people do travel to get gas in areas that don't have additives, but it is rare because the extra amount of gas you use to get to the "good" gas stations offsets any benifit of the higher mpg.

However, that being said, I know inbetween chicago and milwaukee there are stations without "junk" in the gas. I will fill up at those pumps if I am traveling through the area.

Also, note when you put in your tank data that there are quite a few fuel types to chose from. So that kind of data can be stored and compared at cleanmpg (if people actually enter the data when they put in a tank).

Hi Whitevette:

___We have discussed top Tier fuels but again, you do not have a choice other then the station you can use most of the time so it doesn’t matter. We have also discussed the real fuel related hits wrt RFG types, E10 additions, and winter summer formulations in various parts of the country. These have a much larger impact then any trace amount of diesel that may have gotten into the RBOB mix. These Q&A's are beyond the scope of this article as well ...

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Good points. Also, you will not see it on your MPGs but you will use less fuel if you take the inside of every curve (trafic allowing).
Thanks,
Woody

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for this article - I'm starting to use as many of the FE methods as I can - mainly I've stopped using the AC and I'm trying to avoid breaking a lot like I used to do.

I'm hoping to use as many of the Hypermiling techniques as I can on my '01 Altima(automatic). According to EPA it gets about 22 MPG in the city, and if I can get it up to at least 30 that would be great.

Thanks for all the help,
adel

Hi, everyone,

Another new member here, I've got a '96 Toyota Carina (also known as the Corona, I don't think it was ever sold in the US, curious people click here :) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Corona_T190) ) with a 1.8 petrol engine and manual transmission. I'm getting around 40 MPG with it, which is pretty good for this kind of car.

Anyways, I've just read the great article on 'The Why's and how to Hypermile' and some other threads on these forums, but I can't find many suggestions for cars with manual transmission? Most of the topics are about hybrids which, for the time being anyway, doesn't help me much.

Oh, and great site by the way!

Welcome to the forum!! There are plenty of people here who drive manual transmission cars - me for example. Just look at their signatures. You can use most of the general methods described here and they usually work BETTER with a manual than with automatics. Pulse and glide especially. There has been discussion on this but unfortunately I can't point you to a specific thread.

Glad you like the site - it's certainly a congenial bunch of people!

This article is the first I've read on the topic of improving vehicle mpg.

My thanks xcel! Its an excellent eye-opener!!

I've known about tire pressures and rolling resistance; I am wondering if there has been any comparison studies of specific rubber compounds, and specific tire models showing their rolling resistance numbers?

I apologize. I'm not trying to hijack your thread, my initial excitement got the better of me. :rolleyes: :cool:

I've known about tire pressures and rolling resistance; I am wondering if there has been any comparison studies of specific rubber compounds, and specific tire models showing their rolling resistance numbers?


Well, I know the German ADAC (car association, think AAA in the US) does tests every year on quite a few different tires at a couple of different sizes. One of the things they test is rolling resistance, though they usually put more of an emphasys on grip (in the dry and in the wet), braking distance, etc. The site is www.adac.de (http://www.adac.de), but I think it's only in German, and the tires might be different to what is sold in the States. The tires I have at the moment have the lowest rolling resistance of all (the tires are Michelin Energy something), I'll have to check for winter tires for my dad soon.

Also, you will not see it on your MPGs but you will use less fuel if you take the inside of every curve (trafic allowing).
Thanks,
Woody

Actually, it should help with MPGs as well, though not by much. Not actually taking the inside of a curve, but driving like racing car drivers do, so start at the outside, at the apex (top) of the curve be on the inside, then finish on the outside. This is the fastest way around a curve, and it keeps your speed up as much as possible (cars lose speed on curves). Very useful for the glide part of a P&G, but obviously you have to beware of traffic and the traffic regulations. It works even if you just stick to your lane.

Thanks for the info psic. I wonder if there are any US organizations that do such comparisons?
Michelin Energy tires, do they advertize them to have the least RR of any tires? Does it hurt their wet surface performance?

psic, I think that johnburwell meant that the corner manuever won't show up on any MPG equipment as a recognized savings, but that it still is one by allowing your speed to remain hgher than otherwise?

Thanks for the info psic. I wonder if there are any US organizations that do such comparisons?


I haven't a clue. Perhaps the AAA? I like ADAC's because they are done very professionally and throughoutly (wet/dry stopping distance, cornering grip, rolling resistance, during the winter also snow/ice, road noise, etc.).


Michelin Energy tires, do they advertize them to have the least RR of any tires? Does it hurt their wet surface performance?


Yes, these tires didn't do so well in the wet (though to tell you the truth I haven't noticed much of a difference, especially now that I drive a bit slower). Besides a low rolling resistance they are also quite durable (last a long time), and are good in the dry. They were actually bought by my dad, but if I had to pick I would seriously consider them again.


psic, I think that johnburwell meant that the corner manuever won't show up on any MPG equipment as a recognized savings, but that it still is one by allowing your speed to remain hgher than otherwise?

Yeah, I wasn't sure, I first thought he ment that you would save on overall driving distance.

Good heavens, have I got a LOT to learn!! And then teach the hubby. I'm optimistic that even with our old beasts, we can way increase our mileage!

Thank you for all the great information. I drive a '93 Nissan Sentra (manual), and have always beaten the published mpg for this car. Reading through these, I'm reminded of when my dad taught me to drive in 1975. He taught me many of the acceleration/braking techniques mentioned here and to always anticipate when in traffic. I am anxious to learn all I can here to maximize my mileage in the future. Thanks again!

Are there any studies that discuss oil levels in relation to FE? I am having a hard time visualizing how the level of the oil would add to the parasitic drag inside the engine. The viscosity, certainly--but as long as there is a "windage tray" or other method to keep oil froth from hitting the rotating assembly, I don't see how the level of oil can have any real effect.

-soD

Hi Dave:

___Frothing is one another is higher oil temps. About 2 – 3 degrees and every bit helps. If you keep it at half, you gain it all and save on the waste.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

A couple of additional comments relevant to hypermiling an ultralow Cd vehicle. The benefits of drafting are somewhat less than when driving a draggier vehicle. Drafting helps, but just not to the same degree as it does with a typical car. I'll take advantage of a draft when one comes my way, but don't seek them out.

Since an ultra-low Cd reduces the FE losses at typical highway speeds, I can DWL up to higher speeds without losing FE. On slightly rolling terrain, instead of backing off on the throttle on the downhill to keep the speed from heading too deep into FE unfriendly territory and then having to add throttle on the next uphill to keep the speed from dropping too low, I will maintain the throttle setting and let the speed build up to 65-70mph on the downhill, which will often then take me over the crest of the next hill without having to add throttle.

I've been lurking for a little while and I've always thought about my fuel economy so I thought I would add a few points which I think should be included/incorporated:

Faster cornering, especially in town. Any speed lost from braking you obviously have to use gas to make up for after you've completed the corner. This applies especially in town. However corners should always be taken at safe speeds. This could be combined with better cornering, ie starting from the outside and then cutting to the inside of the corner.

Bed covers for trucks - these improve fuel economy for trucks, especially at higher speeds

Smooth transmission shifting for manual transmissions, as it's own bullet - revving over the engaged rpm, or unsmooth shifts that cause shaking etc can reduce FE. The smoother the better, with rpm matching. I know you've included this with P&G, but perhaps it deserves its own section.

Clutch in (neutral) down steep hills with enough safe straightaway afterward. I drive a lot of hilly areas, and this one is good for a lot patches of interstate that cross the Rocky mountains. There are areas where one can get 20-30mph of acceleration from doing this. Note that if cornering or braking I always have the engine engaged. This one is good for reaching the peak of a hill on the interstate at 55mph then going all the way down, hitting 75-80 near the bottom, then using that speed to help make it up the next hill. Perhaps incorporate this in P&G with the section about hill climbing.

Open windows reducing fuel economy - at high speeds it's more fuel economical to roll up those windows and turn on the AC then to have the windows open. Open windows are terrible for aerodynamics.

I'm also curious about shifting on hills, and mountain roads. Is it more FE to hit that road in 5th with the petal to the metal at 65 and finish at 45, or is it better to downshift to 4th and finish a bit faster?

Sorry if I mentioned something that's already in the article, I tried to read it thoroughly, but there's a lot of stuff there, especially about hybrids.

Hi Elixer:

___Welcome to CleanMPG.

___Hopefully the following will help …
Faster cornering, especially in town. Any speed lost from braking you obviously have to use gas to make up for after you've completed the corner. This applies especially in town. However corners should always be taken at safe speeds. This could be combined with better cornering, ie starting from the outside and then cutting to the inside of the corner.
___DWB
Bed covers for trucks - these improve fuel economy for trucks, especially at higher speeds.
___Aerodynamic improvements on all vehicles is not what this dissertation was all about given any number of ways to improve ones Cd. A Tonneu cover for P/U’s is a great one however.

Smooth transmission shifting for manual transmissions, as it's own bullet - revving over the engaged rpm, or unsmooth shifts that cause shaking etc can reduce FE. The smoother the better, with rpm matching. I know you've included this with P&G, but perhaps it deserves its own section.
___A little to detailed for this but smooth is a good idea. When you see how elite level of P&G is performed, you may be surprised at how it may appear more like a Formula One driver running through the gears then a simple drive down the street. Smooth but very quick is not for everyone when pushing for maximum FE.
Clutch in (neutral) down steep hills with enough safe straightaway afterward. I drive a lot of hilly areas, and this one is good for a lot patches of interstate that cross the Rocky mountains. There are areas where one can get 20-30mph of acceleration from doing this. Note that if cornering or braking I always have the engine engaged. This one is good for reaching the peak of a hill on the interstate at 55mph then going all the way down, hitting 75-80 near the bottom, then using that speed to help make it up the next hill. Perhaps incorporate this in P&G with the section about hill climbing.
___Never run with the clutch engaged as the throwout bearing of a MT will be taking load even with none applied to the drivetrain. A FAS or NICE-On as described but with your P/U in N and foot off the clutch is the proper method.
Open windows reducing fuel economy - at high speeds it's more fuel economical to roll up those windows and turn on the AC then to have the windows open. Open windows are terrible for aerodynamics.
___This has more to do with ambient temperature. After some experience, you will find what level of air flow is comfortable (in many of our cases, tolerable) while causing the least amount of Aerodynamic disruption. Running A/C w/ the windows closed at speed does not necessarily give you better FE then windows down without at the same. You will have to learn this through real world experience on your own however.
I'm also curious about shifting on hills, and mountain roads. Is it more FE to hit that road in 5th with the petal to the metal at 65 and finish at 45, or is it better to downshift to 4th and finish a bit faster?
___Never drop the pedal to the metal under any circumstance other then escaping an accident from the rear or some other such low probability scenario. Higher speed into a trough and then DWL up the incline to a minimum target is usually best but each hill and traffic condition has to be handled differently. Practice with reproducible results is the only way to become efficient using this technique.

___With practice and a better understanding of the techniques outlined while driving a well setup vehicle in a safe and efficient manner, you will come around to achieving the numbers most here see daily. It is not brain science by any stretch. With a few months of hard work, you can achieve some great numbers for yourself no matter the vehicle you own and drive. Trust me, your future FE accomplishments will be so far beyond any expectation you may currently have it will place a smile on your face every time you look down at the Trip A knowing how far you have traveled with so much more fuel still left in the tank! I would hope that it turns into an endeavor of a lifetime and my only wish is that you also pass on the same to others for the benefit of all.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Faster cornering, especially in town. Any speed lost from braking you obviously have to use gas to make up for after you've completed the corner. This applies especially in town. However corners should always be taken at safe speeds. This could be combined with better cornering, ie starting from the outside and then cutting to the inside of the corner.


You bring up a good point as this is technically DWB, but your comment takes it a step further. Taking a corner properly is just like you say, start on the outside and apex at the middle of the corner and drift back out to the outside... at least in its simplest form. That is only applicable if its a simple single corner. Your cars drivetrain and the road after the corner dictates where you want your entry and apex points to be. If there is two corners in a row, you would want to sacrifice the first corner for a good exit on the second corner, since thats where you'll end up at.

Tire pressures help with this a TON since you'll scrub off more speed with an underinflated tires as opposed to a properly inflated tire. The tires sidewall doesn't roll over as much when its highly inflated, transfering more of the cars energy into the desired direction instead of turning it into waste (aka heat ;))

This might be a bit off topic though as I'm starting to think about racing theory and proper cornering techniques. Although I don't race on the track anymore, there is a LOT of useful things I've learned about car handling dynamics that is very applicable to hypermiling (throttle control, steering angle, maintaining momentum, etc...)

Thank you for adding an excellent point!

Very interesting info here, gonna take some time to re read all of this, although I would not promote getting close to the back end of a semi-trailer....the results of that ...well can be a bit un nerving.....to say the least...but still interesting ....none the less..

Hi F350 Super Duty:

___We do not recommend it either but it happens. Usually by the truckers themselves actually :rolleyes:

___What you will find is your best FE usually comes when you are all alone (within reason) and able to swing the vehicle into modes you may have never thought of before. This works and the first time I pulled 120 mpg in a Prius, 180 mpg in the Insight or 85 mpg in the Ranger, it showed me something that can only be described as WTF :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Amazing article xcel, I dropped you a message if you'd like to get back to me.

Thanks!

This Article is amazing! Im very new to this, but i have learned alot from this. Thank you so much for all the techniques. I never knew hypermiling existed. Thank you so much for what you done.:D

Hello Wayne,

Thought you might like to know or see the article that appeared today (May 18th, 2008) on CTVs (Canadian Television) web site---I'm sure you know about it already, but I wanted to acknowledge it.

It can be found at:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080516/hypermiling_story_080518/20080518?s_name=Autos

CTV is pretty well Canada's largest private television network and where many, if not most, Canadians get their news. Nice to see this article on their frontpage headlines.

Andrew

Hello,
Great site, just found it yesterday and joined today. Quick question, has anybody used Ethos gas reformulator, just started using product and wondering if it works?

Thanks, tdw63

This is a GREAT article. THANK YOU!!

Since finding this site and employing some of the techniques of this article, I have increased my mpg by an almost unconsciously amazing 37%!! It's so simple.

Thank you so much.

call me the dumbest redhead on the planet! I just purchased a Ford F150 4x4 Titan V8 motor. Is there any hope for me to gain extra miles 'hypermiling'?
any advice is greatly appreciated.
one woman told me adding a toneau cover will automatically gain me 3mpg. If I'm figuring correctly I'm getting around 16-17mpg with a lot of that being in town driving.
HELP!:confused:

Hi Bwharland:

___Hypermiling works in any vehicle but you do have to consider the amount of driving you do and what you use your vehicle for? If it is a lot of miles and you are simply driving back and forth to work unloaded, you would save $’s by purchasing a Yaris, Fit, Corolla or Civic on payments for less than you are placing into the tank of the F150 in a month. Speed limits, DWL, DWB, minor FAS’ing at lights and such, PP, Face-outs, superior setup and of course a superior method to record your FE. It is just that if you drive any kind of distance, the $’s placed into the tank will bury the average family of four :(

___As for the other questions, you cannot create a thread in the Article and News forums without a thread move by a mod or upgrade to mod status. That one has to be earned unfortunately. In the other forums, you can create new threads and post at will but keep it clean.

___Good Luck and welcome to CleanMPG!

___Wayne

Hello. Thanks for the welcome. :Banane08:

I just noticed the number of page views for this one article has risen by 10,000 in the last nine hours alone :eek:

HEy everyone Wowo I have never done this before so IM a college student at UCSD that in CAlifornia if you dont know. ANy way MSANTOS told me to get on this ASAP so I did he is a really cool guy. SO is the guy you made that article about the HCH2 really good. SO im about to get an HCH 2 08b and im super excitied I get it on June 17 SO i want to learn how to drive one

Thanks

Hi SoCalPunk:

___Are you speaking of Tarabell as she wrote the book on the HCH-II ;)

___In an hour or so, could you post this in the intro forums as it really does not fit here :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

HEy WAyne yeah i was talking about Tarrbell I didnt know she was a women well she did a really good job. Im not sure how to do things yet on this site Im still learning I will get the hang of this though .

I'll try to post this again. My son was using my computer earlier and left the browser opened and I accidentally posted under his account.:o

Don't worry about catching on too much, it took me forever; the above is a perfect example:o. Welcome to CleanMPG. As Wayne has alluded to, Tarabell is one of the best when it comes to the HCH-II. Good luck with the new ride.

hello I hate to spend money for fuel

Google has posted some nice results at RechargeIt.org of approx 66 mpg for their
fleet of Toyota Prius cars converted to PHEVS. I wonder what they could achieve
if driven by hypermilers?:)

It'd be something close to a sideways 8 symbol for daily driving, and then the "usual" 60/70/80 mpg for longer trips.

Hi Scutcomb:

___Welcome to CleanMPG!

___Given some of our local drives and locales offer roads with limits in which we can comfortably travel at 34 mph and below, I believe it would be a lot higher ;) The nice thing is even with highway travel, the PHEV Pack assist for a 55 mph driver allows an easy 100 + on the highway as long as the pack has some usable SoC left in it. Even hypermiling on the highway would bump the Google numbers up to the insane if most here had a shot to drive a PHEV for ourselves.

___I am sure you are going to find the same in short order given you know what is now available to you from the article itself :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi, new here. can use any tips for my honda pilot

Hi, new here. can use any tips for my honda pilot

I'm new here too and I have a Honda Pilot (well, it's my wife daily ride). Don't have much advice but I did buy a ScanGauge-II for the Pilot. The SG doesn't work very well for us. I am still trying to calibrate. The variable cylinder (ECO on the dash) messes SG up a little too.

One thing I'd like to experiment with is some aero-mods. I don't know much about aerodynamics but I would think the Pilot is one of the worst (.36 drag coefficient).

So far, I'm barely able to achieve EPA MPG using hypermiling techniques with tires at 50 PSI. This SUV is going to be a real challenge.

Hi Harry and Ballegre:

___In the case of the Pilot, you both have an EPA destroyer! Around town they ill not but on the highway, they will pull numbers so far above their rating you will be shocked after setup and just following the basics including between the speed limits up to the speed limit, DWL and DWL.

___Here is the Pilot’s sibling, the Acura MDX as I drove family members to O’Hare from the Far Northern IL. suburbs and back yesterday.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/505/37_0_mpg_to_O_Hare_and_back.jpg

___With regard to Aero mods, they will not allow this kind of EPA pounding numbers but your right foot will!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Well I'm lost. There's no way I can even approach 37mpg on the Pilot. I also drive an Audi S4 with 24/17 EPA MPG and can hypermile up to 35 MPG on highway. Using those same techniques on the Pilot simply don't work.

I'd love to know what others are doing on the Pilot.

Anyone happen to know what the drag is on the MDX (can't find it). The Pilot is .36 (my Audi S4 is .31). The Pilot and the MDX do have very different body shapes.

Hi Ballegre:

___The first gen MDX has a Cd = to that of your Pilot at 0.36. This is not about aero drag but driving habits and techniques. Trust me, your Pilot is worth every bit as much as the MDX if not more due to possibly even lower weight. The Michelin X-Terrains on the MDX are running at 44 #’s currently if that helps.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Lots of interesting stuff there Wayne. I think it would be amazing if everyone who couldn't afford a newer FE car could use these tips in thier daily driving and watch the fuel cunsumption drop, then tell thier friends. Info like this seems hard to find. Thanks!
Mr. Merrryman

Two questions.

1) Is there a 30, 40, 50 and 60MPH FE chart for a regular non-hybred vehicle?

2) You say that max AC reduces FE. My AC is not temperature sensitive (it doesn't cut back once a certain temperature is hit). That being the case is there any difference between the high and low setting other than the fan speed?

Hi Mr. Merryman:

___You hit the nail on the head!

___Quads4444, every vehicle will have a different 30, 40, 50 and 60 mph speed vs. FE curve so you will have to find that one out for yourself with a calibrate ScanGauge attached. About the A/C, probably not. MAX will go into recirc w/ max fan speed if it is an automatic selection based unit more than likely. If you can learn to cycle you’re A/C while sitting at a light or when accelerating back up to speed, leave the fan speed alone but shut down the A/C compressor. Once back up to speed, go ahead and start the compressor back up. This cycling of the A/C unit will definitely help. There are a lot more techniques wrt the ventilation system to use so just ask ;) Around town driving is where the A/C unit takes the harshest toll on your overall FE so use it wisely if you need it at all.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Thanks for the quick reply, Wayne.

Yes, I can't wait to get my SG-II and get the 30, 40 50 60 MPG for my 99 Hyundai Sonata.

I've been estimating best FE and speed based on the fueleconomy.gov website which shows a little chart that suggest the best FE is in the 50s.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/images/speedVsMpg3.gif

This is helpful, but obviously much too general. As you say, you need to know the specifics of your own car.

Hi Quads4444:

___I have seen that gif many times on the Fed’s site and it just doesn’t do the average vehicle justice :(

___Here is one I finished up on the 2009 Toyota Corolla XRS review vehicle we had in our possession a few weeks ago…

2009 Corolla XRS - Reasonably steady state (DWL) FE tests

Speed Range|43 – 47 mph|48 – 52 mph|53 – 57 mph|58 – 62 mph|64 – 66 mph
FE Displayed *|47 mpg|50 mpg|44 mpg|40 mpg|34 mpg
* OEM aFCD results.

___50 at 50 is about the best she can do at night while simply DWL.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

that chart that wayne has posted is very accurate, it varies btw cars also based on aero, and also if you have an auto vs a stick where you can shift on command at a much lower rpm.

I get my best anywhere from 38mph to 52mph, my car is an auto v6 and is usually reading 38mpg dwl.

pulse & glide brings that up to about 42mpg.

Hi
I Own A 2008 F150 4x4 And I Just Got It, So I Am Into The Gas Problem Can't Trade It Yet For A More Fuel Efficient Vehicle, But However I Have Been Practicing Hypermiling On My Truck .

I Have Made Trips For About An Hour On Highways And On The Car Computer Shows 27-28 Mpg , I Enjoy Hypermiling , Even When My Wife Gets Mad At Me Because Of Low Speed Or Applying My Own Techiniques.

I Just Learned Todat That Tire Pressure Is Very Important.

I Live In Douglas,az When You Have A Forum Nearby Please Let Me Know

Thank You
Manuel Bejarano

Thanks for putting this together Wayne. In the past couple months since I started working on hypermiling, I started a thread (http://filesoup.com/forum/motoring-f24-hydrocarbon_miser_how_good_of_a_driver_are_you-t8964.html) (Hydrocarbon Miser) on another site to encourage the readers there to do more than complain about the rising fuel prices (http://filesoup.com/forum/motoring-f24-whats_the_price-t5548.html). So far it has only been myself posting on a regular basis but the thread has a lot of regular readers, which I take to mean people are listening if not sharing.

I just added the basic hypermiling techniques from this guide to the thread and linked back here and to CleanMPG. If there is a problem with this please let me know and I will change or remove it as needed. :D

hi everyone, my name is brigitte and i m trying to learn as much as possibel about saving gas and energy. thank you:flag::flag:

Greetings fellow hypertypes!
Just another fuel sucking american guy here, trying to undo a lifetime of over consumption and show my 2 teenage sons that saving gas, the earth, and the pocket book, can be safe and make driving even more fun!
Appreciate your work on this site-very well done, and hope you all share what is working for your mileage. Does this adding-water-kit actually work? Where can I get the real scoop on this, as any mistake here would seem very bad for engine, very bad bad bad...
Thanks so much!
Murf

Welcome brigitte and dpmurf!

Forget the water stuff! So far, we believe it to be a placebo effect at best. The only gain with it is for the bank account of the seller of the info or system.

You will gain much more (for FREE) by reading Beating the EPA**** (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510)

Print it off and make it a mandatory read for your sons as well. Just apply one method at a time and watch your mpg grow!

What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Whatever it is, you can improve it's mileage by 10%, 20%, to over 100%.

Hi All:

___I added an intro, combined Prius, HCH-II and FEH links to include SHM//DGE and separated out an intermediate section for easier understanding.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

First I’ll give you a little background history. I bought a brand new 1999 beetle. It was delivered in Feb. of 99 and it paid about $650 more than the gasoline version. I’ve tracked the MPG since day one. I’ve always done a combination of city and highway driving over the years and I’ve gotten around 46 to 48 pretty consistently. Diesel has always cost less than gas until 2004 so the $650 premium that I paid was returned very quickly. I now have 150,000 miles on it and most of the guys in the TDI club get 375,000 to 500,000 miles out of their engines.

Last year I read about hypermiling and have incorporated some of the techniques into my driving. I coast down hills, observe the speed limit (25 to 35 in this city, 55 highway near the city, 65 between Milwaukee in Madison, Wisconsin. I try to judge stoplights, roll through stops when safe, park so I don’t have to backup and turn off my engine at long stops.
Right now I get in the upper fifties generally around 56 to 58 MPG. I replace a stock tires with Michelins and I run them over pressure about 5 to 10 pounds.
I am very excited about this extreme MPG VW announced on this website. This has been in the works since 2000 and the prototype did about 285 MPG in 2002 tests.

There has been talk about the styling-looks too weird. Well how about the smart car do you think that looks normal? Those things are selling like hotcakes. I think there’s a market in the United States for this car.

Even price of oil is dropping right now, OPEC has already called an emergency meeting to get the prices back up.

How about a 235 MPG commuter? I’d buy one and love to drive it to work every day. I hope this is really true for once!

JCE

Hi all, great to find you and the forum. I have to haul cargo a lot and have been driving a Suburban for several years. I had no idea anybody else on the planet did anything like "hypermiling", but I've been using basically the same techniques to boost my FE. I'd gotten to where I could get 20-21 MPG highway with the Burb.

Well I just bought myself a Tahoe Hybrid. It's great. I use most of the same techniques I was using before but haven't tried FAS with the hybrid (afraid I'd mess something up?). I'm getting 27mpg or so on flat-ish highways. I'm going to do a speed FE test tomorrow.

Any specific tips for the Tahoe Hybrid? Again, I get ~27 on flat-ish highways, and in-town too for that matter as long as it's flat. The big thing that kills the Tahoe FE is hills.

I'm constantly monitoring the instant/average economy, along with the display in the nav screen that tells you when you're running electric, gas or both, V4 or V8. I feel that I could increase the FE if I could control what's happening when. I think the gas engine is way too anxious to kick in at slow speeds with light throttle, and I also think it could stay in V4 a lot of the time that it kicks into V8 (you can see the "Instant Economy" drop significantly when it goes to V8, with throttle steady).

Thanks for your comments and advice. :)
Glenn

Hi Gary:

___I took your advice and split the article up into 3 sections. Because the presentation was live, links would not have worked but in the article, they will. caverta (http://www.creativedrugs.com/buy_caverta.htm) I have to link your FEH article, Tarabell’s HCH-II article, and the P&G article into this one which should be completed later on this evening. I still have a lot of detail to add as time permits over the next few days/weeks.

___Thanks for both the FEH speed data and the critique! It is too bad you could not have made it to HF 2006 given you were mentioned by name more then once in front of a decent sized crowd ;) Maybe next year, right? I only saw one individual sleeping through the second presentation so it must not have been too dull and boring :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne
xcel you are amazing :Banane01: I found here very useful info
Thanks dude

Is this missing form the techniques or is it not truly a technique?
Hang Time.

It’s listed in the glossary,
but not in the “Beating the EPA - The Why’s and How to Hypermile”

-Hang Time. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/glossary.php?s=&do=searchresults&search=hang+time&searchoptions=1)
Glossary...
While driving at a constant speed and in the highest gear possible for that speed simply back off the accelerator a "notch". You will notice that your RPM and speed remain the same but you have, in fact, invoked a fuel flow rate that is roughly 10% lower than it was. You can hold this throttle position for a long time, usually until you have to adjust for the terrain.

This technique can be combined with a form of Pulse & Glide (P&G) by backing off the throttle an extra notch to really crank out some great numbers.

I use it as a technique a LOT. :D

Thanks for the great advice!

FYI, hypermiling and Wayne's acheivements were featured in an article on a Belgian newssite (curious, look here: http://monargent.lecho.be/loisirs/auto/2.248_km_avec_un_seul_plein.7876681-1799.art). That's how I ended here in the first place :)

Great to read I'm not the only one doing this ;)

Now that I'm registered I'd like to add some other tricks I use to boost FE. I don't think they were mentioned yet. Ah, and sorry for my English. I hope you'll understand :p


1. use narrow(er) tires! If you have the choice between narrow or wide tires, buy narrow. The less surface on the road, the less drag you create. I know it doesn't look cool, but narrow tires can let you gain as much as 10% FE.

2. avoid special 'winter' tires if you do not absolutely need them. They are made of a softer rubber and have a lower maximum inflation than regular tires. Not only do they wear much faster and cost more, but they drag more than normal tires.

3. heavy wheels require more power to accelerate. Some alloy wheels are actually heavier than standard iron plate wheels. Also, 5-spokes alloy wheels drag more than plain plastic covers on iron wheels. The less holes, the better the aerodynamics.

4. most modern injection engines cut the fuel line when you let go of the accelerator (engine braking). Basically, you have zero fuel consumption when you decelerate. However, if you pull in neutral (or press the clutch pedal), the engine will just idle, which uses some fuel.
So, when approaching that red light, just let go of the accelerator. On manual clutch cars, stay in the longest gear (5th or 6th) so the engine brakes less.
Fuel injection restarts on its own under 1000 rpm to avoid stalling, so gear down before that.

5. check the distance to the nearest fuel station! It can be better to fill right there on the highway than to drive an extra 5 miles to get a cheaper price where you don't have to be.
Also, don't wait until the tank is really empty because maybe at that moment you will not drive by a fuel station and will have to drive a few extra miles to find one.

6. get rid of ballast! Basically, the engine power is used to accelerate a certain weight to a certain speed. A lighter car will use less fuel and accelerate better when needed.
Depending on your local conditions having a 5th tire in the trunk is just hauling 40lbs ballast around. Nowadays you can inflate a flat tire with a 'foam can', which is light and easy to use. Don't do that if you cross the desert though ;)
All other heavy junk you can better leave home. If you commute along the same distance every day, you can also fill just enough fuel for your drive. 15 gallons of fuel weight about 120lbs. If you need only 5 gallons for the round trip to the fuel station, fill just that and spare 80lbs of weight.

7. don't drive! Just by carefully planning your moves you can damatically cut down the costs, especially on shorter trips with a cold engine. In Europe, an average car would cost you 50cts for each kilometer, all included. This means the short hop to rent a book at the town library (20km or 12 miles return) will cost you 10 dollar. You can probably buy this book online for less than that! Try to combine moves to reduce unnecessary short trips. And of course, walking costs nothing on the very short trips...



This one is not helping to increase FE, but also good to know:

8. Do NOT trust the car's computer MPG indicator. Check for accuracy by filling the tank completely and resetting the daily counter and computer MPG indicator. When filling again (completely), write down the mileage and gallons, compute your MPG, then compare with what the car's computer tells. Bet you'll be surprised! Many cars (especially japanese) indicate 10% less than the real thing. The spedometer also often indicates 10% more than your real speed (eg: 55mph when you really drive 50mph).

Hope that helps someone out there... :cool:

Hi,

I have a specific query about FASing non-hybrid manual trannies -

To achieve a specific effective speed while FASing, it is required to speed up to a higher speed, and then killing engine, one comes to the lower speed, where the cycle repeats.

What is the effect of having a high 'delta' between the higher and lower speed (want to keep the coasting going on as far as possible, before starting up again).

There may be a practical limit to the higher and lower speeds, and there would be one that is dictated by physics. I am interested in the physics part of it. What would be the optimum duty cycle for any general vehicle? what percentage of the target constant speed should the higher and lower speeds should be (like say 110% - 85% etc), so that the travel at the effective speed is optimal? I am asking these questions because having a non-OBD2 compliant car, I cannot check it out quickly for myself (would require too much of experimentation / would involve too many variables interfering). I would keep 50 mph as the target speed (in fact I find 50 mph daunting for an average speed since I started FASing - I put in 45 mph on my steady excursions)

Thanks in advance for any answers, and Wish you all Hymies a happy new year 2009!

Highway driving: I like to keep the low end high enough to use 5th gear, and the high end low enough so it doesn't kill mileage with excess speed / rpm. In my case that works out to 40/45 on the bottom and 55/60 on the top, for a 15 mph delta.

For low speed driving, I let the terrain and conditions dictate. In time, you get a feel for what's optimal here.

I now believe to Hypermile is to be an artist behind the wheel. I have Japanese mini trucks which have 3 cylinder 660 cc gasoline engines. These trucks are a main stay in Japan used in the mountain roads, cities and hwy's. The japanese buy their gas by the liter and pay for it in yen. They get Kilometers per liter in Japan. I was told they get from 12 km to 20 km per liter of their non Ethanol gasoline.
Here in the USA I get 26 to 38 mpg and I drive poorly. I find my self with my foot in the carburetor and hitting every stop light. A friend who drives much better then I drove a tank of gas and got 57 mpg. I am wondering what can these little trucks do?

Now that I'm registered I'd like to add some other tricks I use to boost FE. I don't think they were mentioned yet. Ah, and sorry for my English. I hope you'll understand :p

(snip)

Hope that helps someone out there... :cool:

I generally agree with these, but want to add three things:

1.) I think that if you live in a place where it snows more than one or two days a year, you're in the 'snow belt' and winter tires should be considered part of the price of driving a car. All-season tires...aren't. Winter tires aren't really that expensive compared to the price of the car, and it is always handy to have an extra complete set of tires. You may lose a little bit of fuel economy using winter tires, but you will gain a lot in terms of safety (both for you and the other people on the road with you.) You can usually get a good deal on winter tires pre-mounted and balanced on cheap steel wheels from Tire Rack, shipped straight to your door.

2.) Regarding engine-braking and deceleration fuel cut-off (dfco), the timing of when the fuel cutoff actually happens varies from car to car. Until I bought a Scangauge, I didn't realize that during my daily drive, dfco was almost never happening, even though I was engine braking, because my RPMs were too low for dfco to engage. I have now adjusted my driving (including forced downshifts) to make sure I take advantage of it. (Corollary to #2 - get a Scangauge!)

3.) Absolutely agree on the don't drive idea! This isn't just about walking to the store from home (people living in Suburban American can't always do this,) but also walking when you get there. How many times have you (or someone you know) driven to more than one store in the same shopping center just b/c it was at the other end of the plaza? Park centrally and walk to both places.

My entire drive to work is on city streets. Accelerating slowly as pulse and glide requires, I make a lot of people behind me mad. My entire trip is 12 miles. There are at least 30 lights along the way. On a good day, I can get to work in 25 minutes. On the way home, it will take 35 to 40 minutes. My mpg is much better on the way to work. Is there a way to increase my mileage in the intense stop and go on the way home. I will often have to stop at almost every light.

Your best bet is to try and time the lights. If you can catch the green, even at 5 mph, you'll see much better mileage than if you have a full stop.

I've noticed some behind me riding me on my way home from work, but then they seem to notice that I'm at a speed that allows us to make the light ahead without stopping. They usually back off a bit upon that realization.
Try and space yourself to avoid some of your traffic stops.
If its not illegal, I don't worry about making others mad, especially if they have alternatives around me.
:)

If its not illegal, I don't worry about making others mad, especially if they have alternatives around me.

Me, too. :)

Tire pressures are a very important key to higher fuel economy. The higher the pressure, the lower the rolling resistance, the higher the fuel economy. The absolute minimum you should use is the driver’s side door or owners manual recommended tire inflation criteria. This is what the EPA and your car manufacturer sets tire pressures to during the EPA city/highway testing. MAX sidewall is what I would recommend for most as it is well within the safety limits of your car and tire and allows better FE than the pressure listed in the driver’s side door. I can discuss but cannot personally recommend upwards of 25% higher than MAX sidewall as there are legal constraints we all have to live with. That being said, 50 + #’s on a MAX Sidewall rated tire leads to even higher FE . Pros, higher FE , less tread wear, more even tread wear across the treads width, shorter braking distances in a variety of conditions, and in many cases, even better handling. Cons, higher NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness).

I’m one of those old timers that always went with the manufactured recommendation psi for tires. Which for my Camry is 32 all around. Since I’ve read this article I have little by little raised my tire pressure to 40 psi and have been rewarded with an increase in mileage, while the ride still feels fine to me. This makes me want to go even higher. I notice some tires have ratings of 35psi while others have 44 psi. My Camry Hybrid has the standard Bridgestone tires on it with a sidewall number of 51psi. But I don’t know if I have the nerve or would be comfortable raising the pressure all the way up to the max sidewall rating of 51 psi. Someone told me you to take 10% of the sidewall number and I should be fine there year round summer or winter in city or highway driving. That would be about 45psi for me. Any thoughts on this and does anyone know who or how they determine the sidewall psi rating on tires? Thanks, Rick

Hi Rick:

___For legal concerns, MAX Sidewall is what you should consider for all your vehicles. I have been running MAX plus 40% year-round for years with both increased FE and much lionger lasting tires. The Accord's Michelin Energy's are at 109,000 miles and still going with even tread wear all the way across.

___Pressures are up to you but a good premise to start would be the Driving Under Pressure (full article) (www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11652)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I just don't want to be going down a smooth flat road at highway speed and have one of the front tires let go because I had too much pressure in them. I read that article and did raise pressure to 42 and was already contemplating going up to 45. I have the original Bridgstones on my TCH and the sidewall max is 51. I've never owned Bridgestones before and just not all that sure that these tires can take it. 51 Just seems high for any passenger car tire. I was trying to find out why some passeger tires are rated at 35psi and other at 51 and who determins this number. Anyway sooner or later I'll probably come around. It just takes some of us a little longer than others. Thanks for you input, Rick

I'm going to join with Wayne and say that max sidewall is the legal limit that can be recommended. That said, I have been running 80psi and above (44psi max) for nearly 2 years now. The only ill side effects have been the light on the dash from the TPMS.:p

Ok, I'm a believer. I took the advice here and have raised my pressure to 45 psi. Been driving this way for a few days and no problems at all. The big notable difference is how long my car will stay in ev mode. The increased rolling resistance is fantastic. I have only had this TCH a short time but with reading this forum and implimenting the tires pressures and the p&g and the other hypermiling technics I can, I am getting what I consider phonomenal mileage. 40 mpg average is almost easy. Now if I could only figure out the scanguageII xguage codes for the TCH I'd be set. After my car sits tonight, I'm going the rest of the way tomorrow and raising the tires to thier sidewall max. I never thought saving gas could be so much fun. Thanks for all the help an information. Rick

Wonderful, Rick!! We really enjoy watching our members progress -- do keep us updated. :)

Hi, I just wanted to mention that this thread has had 335,335 views!

Good golly.

DAS

Hi, I just wanted to mention that this thread has had 335,335 views!

Good golly.

DAS

A good portion of those is members re-reading it. I know I have read it at least 3 times myself.

Hi all.

We've been using some of these techniques all along, like the reduced speed, gliding, stop light timing, and not accelerating up inclines if not necessary, etc., but I learned a couple of nifty things I had never though of, like taking the high position in the parking lot, and to head to the farthest destination first in cold weather. The 'face out' one is a real forehead slapper for me. Duh! Why did that never occur to me - no more wasting time, tires, gas and brakes on the back out and turn. Thanks!! My neck feels better already.

Hypermiling got a two page spread in the UK Today Tomorrow Autumn 2009 magazine which is produced by Toyota for Club Toyota members. This edition features the 2010 Prius.
They have a section on extreme hypermiling under the sub heading don't try this. It covers drafting, ridge riding, DWB, forced stop and rabbit timing. Familiar words to us all.

There is nothing "extreme" about hypermiling and drafting is not a valid technique. It pains me to see those two words used in conjunction with our pursuits. :(

Sean is correct. You are either hypermiling or not. Safely beating the epa numbers using simple fuel saving techniques is hypermiling.

:flag:I've put 40lbs of air in the tires, turn off the car at red light (except at night), step on the gas pedal softly, and keep my speed down to or below the speed limit and still only am getting 38.5 mph. What am I doing wrong? I only drive about 12 miles a day.

John,

It takes around 5 miles for your car to warm up, so meeting the EPA on trips that short is actually good! With ScanGage or the instant FE gage on the dash, I note lower FE until normal operating temperature is reached.

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Could a mod shorten these section dividers in the main article, please? They're significantly wider than my screen (1024x768) and cause a scroll bar to appear. A similar effect could be generated by making the existing dividers shorter and centering them.

I hadn't read the article in a while and thought I'd go through it again as a refresher. I got too frustrated scrolling left and right for every line of text that I soon gave up. This also may act as a deterrent for non-members reading it for the first time.

Hi Fanamingo:

___I believe its the first EPA characteristics table that is causing the width issue for you at 1024x768 and it would be hard for me to break that one up?

___Let me know?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne,

I checked; it's not the table. I saved the page to my computer and modified the html. I shortened the ------- and +++++++ lines. The table then automatically shrank to the width of my screen (the lines of text wrapped within the table cells).

Sorry to be a nuisance. I just figured if I was having a problem, others might as well. I'm afraid I'm stuck with this resolution until my monitor dies.

Edit: Another idea is to insert a space in the middle of each of the ---- and ++++ lines. This would keep the display virtually the same for those with higher resolution. For lower resolution monitors, the browser would see each line as two words and wrap the second word onto a new line.

I just looked at it on my netbook with an 8" lcd. I scrolled to the right and it just made the column on the left disappear and I could read the article fine. The resolution on this midget is 1024x600.

That wasn't the case for me, so it got me thinking. Our browsers must be treating the fonts sizes differently. A simple "Ctrl" + "mouse scroll wheel" shrank the font and everything fit on my screen. It's now easily readable. Thanks!

This is what web developers deal with - lurkers with varying resolutions, different browsers, and OSes.

Would be nice to have this downloadable by PDF, is there such a pdf?

Hi, Group, I am glad to join y'all. I am an oldster, coming from the era of flat head fords, from the dainty 60 to the brute 85. Did Iskenderian cams,"iskies". McCulloch blowers. eidlebrock intake manifolds, and long, lanky Carter Carbs, sequenced two and four. Enough, I guess I sound like I'm bragging, don't mean to. my apologies. I hope to learn from this forum, so I'm done talking, and am now reading. Grampa

Welcome to CleanMPG grampated!
I know all the names you were talking about. I built a doublehump head 327 with 2 Carters and a slip n slide powerglide and put in a 63 Ford pick up Rat Rod when I was in high school.

I like the cars and driving style MUCH better now! The link in my sig will point you to a lot of great info here.


What do you drive now?

Wow.. Awesome! I think I am a long way behind still.. :)

I joined a couple of months ago but I have kept my posts to a minimum. I drive 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 4x2, it has the 5.3L v8, 3.23 gears, 4spd auto, 265/70/10s (which alters the rear gears). I have a Cold Air intake, cat back exhaust system, Superchips set to economy mode and a tonneau cover. The above 4 products claim to improve gas mileage (I purchased all of them for other reasons), but the only one that seems to work is the tonneau cover (about an extra 1mpg on the hwy). With the help of the tonneau cover and some discipline (the discipline needed to drive the speed limit, coast, etc...) I have raised my combined MPG to 21-22. I expect to see a bit more improvement since I continue to perfect my driving techniques. I currently have a set of All terrians on my truck, they are great tires and It looks like I will get my 50,000 miles out of them, but I see an increase of my fuel mileage in my future when I switch to an All Season tire. Consumer Reports have reviewed some light-truck tires and had a chance to test for fuel eff. Chances are my next vehicle will be a truck, I enjoy the room up front for me, the room in the back for my daughter (come oct I will be adding another car seat), and the room in the truck bed (twin mattresses anyone??). I'm very excited about what is currenty available in light trucks and what I see myself driving in the future. GM has the hybrid, AFM, vvT, 6 spd auto, and maybe even electric power steering. Ford's new engine line-up is looking awesome. The 3.7v6 with a 6 spd auto what be a great combo!! The 3.5v6 ecoboost is also exciting (oh the hypermiling possibilities).

Now if one of the big 3 would offer a 1/2 diesel, with kind off things cleanmpg has done with the 2011 6.7L, the sky would be the limit with a 1/2 ton diesel.

Hi Delond2:

I hope you are using the truck for work but if you are looking, there is not much more fuel efficient than the 2011 Ford SuperDuty w/ the 6.7L PowerStroke (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29847) ;)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/4_969_gas_prices.jpgTwo summers ago almost to the day…

One thing I hope you ask yourself before your next purchase is "What If". We have seen gas lines in the 70's when we were only 30% dependant on others for the liquid gold. Today we are over 60% dependant on those same sources. When Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, many in the South and South East were paying over $6.00 per and in some cases could not purchase at all. When Rita caused the evacuation of Houston, hundreds of thousands of residents were caught on the exit routes empty without a prayer while fuel prices skyrocketed. During the summer of 2008, gas prices averaged $4.11 per gallon across the nation with many paying over $5.00 in their respective locales.

We have had three warnings of much higher prices in the last few years leading to much higher prices in the future. Please before your next purchases ask yourself if gasoline were $6.00 per gallon, would you want to drive a new 20 mpg truck? Or a new 20 mpg anything for that matter? That is equivalent to throwing over $0.30 out the window for each and every mile driven not including the cost of the truck... I have to believe that $0.30 per mile would eventually add up to real money no matter how wealthy one were?

Regarding reasons to consider something far more fuel efficient, there are quite literally hundreds far more encompassing than price but price is certinaly the motivating factor.

Good Luck

Wayne

I was talking about this with a friend on face book, I feel the response I used in facebook would fit well in this thread.....

"All teasing aside, I bought my truck 4 yrs ago. My outlook has changed since then and I put fuel efficiency higher up on the list of priorities. When the time comes in about 1-2 yrs to purchase a new vehicle, I will be thinking more with the top brain on which new vehicle I chose. Re-arranging your priorities to better serve the family (aka save money) is part of the growing up process, Right?"

That being said I do not see a smaller vehicle like the prius in my future, I will need a decent amount of room for the kids (my wife and I are planning for a total of 3). I will still need decent amount of room in the back for the amount of gear I do usually have to carry around.

Hi Delond2:

A very appropriate and measured response.

Good Luck

Wayne

Or course, until the more fuel effiecent vehicle comes, I will do what I can with my SIlverado. I know this is nothing to most of yall outthere but I was able to Go from Moore OK to Pearl MS with one tank. This is the 1st time I have ever been able to reach 600miles on one tank. When I made the same trip last year I got 22.1mpg, yesterday I got 23.1mpg. I think what probably allowed me to get the increase mpg was my speed. I kept my speed at 60-65 on the interstate (speed limit 70mph). My wife has also become more tolerable of my efforts, Last year she demanded I go the speed limit, now she lets me drive under.

One thing that hurt me, the walmart I usually fill up at in Moore OK just made the switch to 10% EtOH. I bet I could have gotten atleast 23.5 w/o the EtOH. There are several stations in town that still sell the pure stuff, but it is usually 20cents/gal higher.

Great. Glad to see that you are improving. The FE is pretty decent for such a large and "square" vehicle.

Since wind resistance increases with the square of speed, you can still find considerable improvement by driving still slower. The improvement achieved by sticking to 55 MPH is clearly noticable, and it doesn't make much difference in arrival time. Also, check your tire pressure and make sure you are up to max sidewall pressure.

Good work!

Good job deleond2. Hypermiling is about gettting the best mpg that you can in
whatever you drive.

My truck's sweet spot is at approx 40mph so I try to keep at that, when I'm driving alone I will slow to 55mph. There were two reasons why and didnt drive below 60mph on yesterday's trip.....

1. Traffic
2. Wife

My truck's sweet spot is at approx 40mph so I try to keep at that, when I'm driving alone I will slow to 55mph. There were two reasons why and didnt drive below 60mph on yesterday's trip.....

1. Traffic
2. Wife

I'm sure reason #2 supersedes ALL else.

The improvement achieved by sticking to 55 MPH is clearly noticable, and it doesn't make much difference in arrival time. Also, check your tire pressure and make sure you are up to max sidewall pressure.

Well the difference in arrival time is worth it to some. Going 55-65mph instead of 65-70mph on my daily 18 mile commute shows no big difference.

But when the trip is all hwy, it can make a difference. 600miles/60mph=10hours. 600miles/70mph=about 8.5hrs. When I told my wife that we may be late for dinner since I'm driving slower, she got pretty frustrated.

I have P265/70/17 Firestone Destination A/Ts, I run the pressure at max (give or take a few PSI). The pressure was 45psi the morning of the trip.

I have mentioned my wife several times, In all fairness, my wife is probably frustrated because alot of this stuff is relatively new to her, she is not used to my driving techniques. Regarding the use of the A/C, If I was 30wks pregnant, I would probably want to keep the A/C on too.

Took my wife a while to grow accustomed to my hypermiling. I even got her beating the EPA by about 10 MPG. My 27 mile daily commute is mostly highway and it only adds about 5-7 min. (Only about a mile is under 50 MPH.)

A pregnant wife supersedes any and all hypermiling techniques.

Hi Damionk:

While a pregnant wife supersedes any requests of any nature (unless it's to please her immediate needs ;)), remind her that hypermiling is a much safer way to travel the highways and byways and the little one inside deserves her adherence to the PSL at a minimum for a long and fruitful life!

Good Luck

Wayne

The wife is slowly coming on board. She is really beginning to pay attention now that I'm slowly beginning to hypermile with her 2006 Ford explorer. GIven what I can do with her 2006, I'm excited what kind of things could be done with some thing like the 2011 Ford explorer.

Thanks from a newbie for this article and this site in general. One question:

Does the "Prius II SHM" method still apply to the 2010 Prius (3rd Gen)? And if so, are we still shooting for the same numbers on the scangauge?

Thanks,
EZ

Hi Ezanker:

Good question and hopefully the following will answer your questions succinctly :)

2010 Prius-III_P&G,_SHM and_WS_FE techniques rehashed, defined and refined (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25579)

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Delond2, I cannot wait to drive the 2011 Ford Explorer with the 2.0L EcoBoost myself as I suspect it may be a real winner vs. the std. 3.5L.

Good Luck

Wayne

XCEL....
My wife is working half time, so she can be mom as much as possible on the side. I can have the small car to commute but she will need the kiddo mover. My wife is a big Ford Explorer fan and she is liking the 2011 explorers so far. It would probably be about 3-4 yrs before she would get a new car/suv, but if reliability holds up, I would push for the explorer to have the 4-cylinder turbo (1/2 the size of the 4.0L V6, power is better, better efficiency).

Hi Ezanker:

Good question and hopefully the following will answer your questions succinctly :)

2010 Prius-III_P&G,_SHM and_WS_FE techniques rehashed, defined and refined (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25579)

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Wayne

Thanks! That article certainly answers my immediate questions. Once i receive my scangauge i will will start applying the shm technique and see what questions arise...