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Hybridfest MPG challenge winner Bill Kinney eked out an amazing 168 mpg in his Honda Insight (http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3404022&page=1) (see in Quick Time (http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/hypermilers.mov)) (extended more balanced, video (http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3415816))

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Billy_s_2005_Modded_Insight.jpgABC News - July 23, 2007

Two years ago Americans were growing increasingly upset about rising prices when they reached $2 a gallon. Today the numbers are much higher.

The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.05, but Minnesota residents shell out more money. At $3.20 a gallon, they pay the highest price in the country, likely because of refinery problems in the Midwest.

Massachusetts residents have it a bit easier at $2.91. They are purchasing gas at the lowest price in the country.

With oil companies expected to release stellar second-quarter profit reports later this week, some drivers said they are looking to save money not by changing to hybrids, but by changing themselves.

Slow and Steady Saves Gas

Lately Joshua Zumbrun has averaged about 72 miles per gallon in the hybrid he bought for his long commute as a Washington Post reporter. The mileage is high, even for a hybrid. "That's like driving from D.C. to Philly and a little bit more on just over 2 gallons of gas," he said.

Zumbrun has several tips to bring in big savings. The first is to slow down and drive steadily without accelerating and braking so often. "There's no point in racing up to a red light every time," he said.

Zumbrun said gravity is a driver's friend and drivers should coast when they can. He also said that sitting at a long red light while the car's engine is idling could be hard on a car, but that drivers should shut off their engines.

Alone, each step may not save much, but together they could add up to huge savings. http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3404022&page=1

only more press to get more drivers to hypermile, still dreaming the day that I see all cars and trucks coasting towards the red light and not a single person idling there.

It happened only once, I couldn't believe it, but I want to see it again. I still have hope that our additutes can change.

We're gettin' there! :D It's so exciting to see so much press about hypermiling.

Tarabell, thanks for posting the link to the ABC news article.
I saw this on the Good Morning America show this morning.

Congratulations to Bill and Wayne!

I also recognized the familiar faces and vehicles of Al ("Hobbit") and Willie (turbo-charged Insight with pinstripes) in that article.

Who knows, Hobbit may inspire a trend of barefoot driving. (He gave up on shoes before owning a Prius, but may have lost the "competitive" advantage because of the calouses.)

It's good to see hypermiling and the Honda Insight getting some publicity and long overdue respect (I think?) in the national media.

Hypermilers: As when there's a rapid increase in the price of gasoline, you should expect increased interest in your respective workplaces! Keep on setting a good example!

So why did Honda stop selling the Insight?

So why did Honda stop selling the Insight?
There are probably more theories than there are Insights.

My personal favorites:
(1) it was intended as a flexing of Honda's engineering muscles to show off what Honda could do
(2) Honda wanted a limited real-world test of battery behavior to get knowledge that they could apply to other hybrids
(3) it cost Honda more to make them than they sold them for (but they MUST have known this before they started producing Insights)

Honda definitely was not eager to sell them in 2006. I practically had to beg to get mine.

I've also heard that Honda would've had to make some changes for '07 such as side curtain airbags, and they didn't want to spend more money on a car that was already losing money, and wasn't selling.

The big question on my mind is: will Honda's new dedicated hybrid due out in '09 be the car that finally tops the Insight's fuel economy?

I've also heard that Honda would've had to make some changes for '07 such as side curtain airbags, and they didn't want to spend more money on a car that was already losing money, and wasn't selling.

The big question on my mind is: will Honda's new dedicated hybrid due out in '09 be the car that finally tops the Insight's fuel economy?

In the meantime, I intend to install MIMA in my Insight after my car returns from scheduled maintainance Wednesday....

OTOH, I asked the guy who owns the HCH I drove if he does hypermiling and he asked what was that? So I explained, it's when you drive to get the most miles per gal you can. He just laughed and said he wasn't turning off his a/c and driving like a little old lady. I don't think most of you are little old ladies and i think many of you do use your a/cs. So it is a hard sell.
But since I am a newbie at this i didn't have much of an answer.



--des

Hi Des:

___Tell your friend he needs to go for a ride with a rated hypermiler sometime. If he aint wearing his seatbelts, he will be going to the hospital ;) He may even close his eyes and cry like a little girl when he experiences a FAS busted at 70 while passing an 18-wheeler :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Des:

___Tell your friend he needs to go for a ride with a rated hypermiler sometime. If he aint wearing his seatbelts, he will be going to the hospital ;) He may even close his eyes and cry like a little girl when he experiences a FAS busted at 70 while passing an 18-wheeler :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

LOL! Wayne is right -- I actually drive faster now in many cases than I did before April of this year. The wife gets this terrified look in her eyes anytime I approach a turn now. :eek: ;) :D

I'd volunteer but I'm a bit far -- though our states do share the same letters. ;)

This is actually sorta funny.
I went to go check out what 168mpg was in L/100km and plugged it into the online conversion site here (http://www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html) . The program only accepts values up to 150mpg!! Looks like someone needs to revamp their calculator.

This is actually sorta funny.
I went to go check out what 168mpg was in L/100km and plugged it into the online conversion site here (http://www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html) . The program only accepts values up to 150mpg!! Looks like someone needs to revamp their calculator.

The Honda Insight will read up to 150mpg, but in the metric mode the maximum fuel economny is essentially infinite.

This is actually sorta funny.
I went to go check out what 168mpg was in L/100km and plugged it into the online conversion site here (http://www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html) . The program only accepts values up to 150mpg!! Looks like someone needs to revamp their calculator.

Google is your friend. ;)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=168+miles+per+gallon+in+liters+per+100+km

Edit: Welcome to CleanMPG! :)

LOL! Of course, after reading that description i'll never be a "rated hypermiler". But how would i find one. I think that would be fun to watch. :-) (MInd you I would be watching afterwards I don't want to ride with one.

And I do drive like a little old lady.... (Though I would go triple the speed limit to avoid the stop light--- so I'm not sure, and I also just go over speed bumps like they are the rest of the road. Funny that they feel less bumpy.)

--des

xcel;37565]Hi Des:

___Tell your friend he needs to go for a ride with a rated hypermiler sometime. If he aint wearing his seatbelts, he will be going to the hospital ;) He may even close his eyes and cry like a little girl when he experiences a FAS busted at 70 while passing an 18-wheeler :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

You're a mite colder than it is here. Of course, you'd need to be dyslexic to think we live in the SAME state. :-)


--des


I'd volunteer but I'm a bit far -- though our states do share the same letters. ;)

___Tell your friend he needs to go for a ride with a rated hypermiler sometime.


There are rated Hypermilers? :confused: Gee, I thought it was just you and Billy. And maybe a Prius driver or two. :p

I'm looking forward to recieving the first edition of, "Who's Who of American Hypermilers." :Banane39:

This is actually sorta funny.
I went to go check out what 168mpg was in L/100km and plugged it into the online conversion site here (http://www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html) . The program only accepts values up to 150mpg!! Looks like someone needs to revamp their calculator.

According to recent HCH2 speed tests, you would need to drive about minus 36mph (with AC off) to hit 168mpg... Hmm - driving backwards might be the key...

http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/hypermilers.mov (http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/hypermilers.mov) (may need Quick Time to view it)

While the content is the same as the print article, the delivery stresses the negatives even more.

http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/hypermilers.mov (http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/hypermilers.mov) (may need Quick Time to view it)

While the content is the same as the print article, the delivery stresses the negatives even more.

:Banane36:

Crappy news story, die die!!

Hi Des:

___Tell your friend he needs to go for a ride with a rated hypermiler sometime. If he aint wearing his seatbelts, he will be going to the hospital ;) He may even close his eyes and cry like a little girl when he experiences a FAS busted at 70 while passing an 18-wheeler :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Its an strange feeling to be in FAS mode, passing a truck on a downhill at 75mph in complete silence while you can hear their ICE laboring away trying to maintain speed on the downhill.