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Hypermilers tweak their cars, but more importantly they adjust how they drive to save gas. (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/21/hypermilers/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/102_5mpg.jpgTim Post - Minnesota Public Radio - May 23, 2008

Reported at the Minnesota Hybrid Meeting, May 17. Be sure to check out the audio --Ed.

St. Cloud, Minn. — From the moment Sean Welch pulls out of a parking spot his goal is to use as little gas as possible.

"I'm pointed slightly up hill, so I'm going to roll back out of the slot," Welch said as his car moved slowly backwards, the engine off. "I did that on purpose, it's called potential parking. That way I don't have to use any fuel at all to back up,"


Sean Welch
Welch, a 31-year old IT analyst from Coon Rapids, is a hypermiler.

He drives a Honda Insight hybrid. He's six foot five, and surprisingly fits into the aerodynamic little two seater just fine. It's a car the EPA says can get over 50 miles to the gallon....http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/21/hypermilers/

Very nice article. Unfortunately, it seems like no one can write anything on this subject (outside of our little "cult" :rolleyes:) without using the "D" word!

I can honestly say I've never either done, nor have been tempted to do, any kind of drafting, and have seen seriously significant gains in my fuel economy since learning just a portion of the techniques discussed here!

I rarely if ever draft at all, and if I do, I'm >3 seconds behind the guy (and usually if I'm facing a headwind).

I should get a sticker that says "Unemployed. Driving slow to save gas." :p

Yeah, most of the technics I have employed are just simple, common sense driving. What they didn't say in the article is the additional side benefits...less wear and tear on your vehicle, lower stress from driving rage-free and, contrary to some opinions, I still have fun driving! Taking a long hill ride down in neutral can be quite a rush!

i am sure the reporter really had to condense his information. he was there for most of the day, talked to a lot of people and rode in several cars. he was very positive about the meeting, and shared that he already drives that way. as for the drafting, i don't know where it came up. but all the drivers there i think went home knowing more about their cars, and they will tell their friends and relatives, and it will spread. and......we didn't show them drafting, because we sure weren't driving fast enough to draft anyone. and on the rare occasions another vehicle did come up on us, he/she sped past as per usual.

i have to admit to passing a car with wayne in it, but only to let them follow me through the course, since he was too focused on what he was telling them to really pay attention to where the course was.

There was an hour-long program on gas prices today with related stuff. Unfortunately, I didn't hear it when it was on, and the firewall at work seems to be blocking me from listening.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/23/midday1/

I got a call from Jeff Horwich of "In the Loop" the other day, and I believe they're going to be doing a show on fuel-related stuff in the 6:00 hour tonight. The show's been getting retooled, so I'm not sure if their website will have any info, but it's here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/in_the_loop/

Do NOT draft.

It is very dangerous. It can be all over for you in 2 seconds. I saw it happen. You may get away with it 500 times and on the 501st time your luck could quickly run out before you know what happens.

There are plenty of ways to increase your MPG. Don't make drafting one of them. On my last fill up I scored 62.9 MPG driving the old RRSB Saturn and it was done without drafting.

Thanks,

Bob.

bob, we DON'T draft. we don't SUGGEST drafting. the reporters manage to pick that up on their own, since one time long ago it was mentioned and they grabbed onto it like a dog with a bone and just can't seem to let go.

Hi Laurie:

___Great find!

___The audio file includes even more nuggets of gold ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hello, I'm Tim Post, the reporter who did the story for Minnesota Public Radio. Thanks Laurie for adding the story to your forums section. I appreciate the comments from CleanMPG members.

The information I got on drafting was from Wayne's presentation at the St. Cloud meeting, the same information that's in this forum topic... http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510

While the hypermilers I talked to were very careful to say "don't draft!" and I think that came across in my story, Wayne's article Beating the EPA - The Why’s and how to Hypermile mentions "distant drafting" and "surf drafting" as techniques hypermilers can use.

Hello, I'm Tim Post, the reporter who did the story for Minnesota Public Radio. Thanks Laurie for adding the story to your forums section. I appreciate the comments from CleanMPG members.

The information I got on drafting was from Wayne's presentation at the St. Cloud meeting, the same information that's in this forum topic... http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510

While the hypermilers I talked to were very careful to say "don't draft!" and I think that came across in my story, Wayne's article Beating the EPA - The Why’s and how to Hypermile mentions "distant drafting" and "surf drafting" as techniques hypermilers can use.


hi, tim. we sure appreciated having you there. and yes, wayne does talk about "distant drafting" and "surf drafting." i didn't mean to imply that you suggested close-up drafting, since i know you were there when wayne gave the presentation. there have have been articles in which it appeared that close drafting is suggested, and it often comes up when other reporters see it someplace and repeat it. then the general public makes a comment that blows it all out of proportion, and it becomes an issue again.

i was more making a comment in response to the previous poster, and apologize if i appeared to be painting you with the same brush as others who have accused us of doing such tactics as riding the bumper of a semi. trust me, we have had truckers post here and raising &*($#*&@( about our doing just that.

as you know, it's really difficult to both drive slowly and draft a semi at 65.

again, thanks again for a wonderful article, we appreciated your report a lot!!

Here is my take on how close I follow any vehicle.

If the vehicle in front of me for some reason or another suddenly stops dead, would I have a way of getting around it? Are there 2 ways of getting around it or just one?

Bob.