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I wonder how much fuel could be saved if all the fast food drive through were elevated so that when you entered you went up a small hill but from there it was all down hill so you could coast to the window instead of having to turn the engine off and on as the line moved.

For us it would be fantastic as long as we can climb the incline at once using built-up kinetic energy. Just keep 15-25mph in advance, kill the engine before you hit the hill, coast over and just to the other side of the hill, then gravity creep until dinnertime. For the average driver? Disaster. Get to the base of the hill, stop to answer the cell phone. Idle. Climb half way up, stop. Idle some more. Climb the rest of the way at full throttle, get down the other side, stop. Idle. Idle idle idle.

Think of how much gas would be saved if they eliminated drive-throughs altogether.

1) Rather than inching through the lines, you can shut the car off and walk inside.
2) Don't have time to go in? Simply don't stop and buy junk food at all. Drive home and eat some vegetables from the fridge.
3) Additional weight (maybe from fatty foods?) damages mileage.

lol that's one of my strengths to purchasing a hybrid... less gas wasted at drive thrus :D