Could you squeeze 58 MPG from your Honda Accord?

Hypermilers are car owners who work very hard to exceed the EPA rated mileage on automobiles through various techniques such as coasting on nuetral, not applying brakes, using the draft of large trucks to add extra mileage, turning the a/c off, trying to time stop lights, employing techniques such as pulse and glide, etc.

There are numerous accounts of hypermilers breaking each others mileage records on the net. Wayne Gerdes, one of the founders of the hypermilers concept drives a Honda Accord and gets about 58 mpg. His technique? “I start rolling down the driveway, follow about a sixteenth of a mile, ignite the motor to 25 miles per gallon for about four seconds, then shut it down and glide,” he says. He has a website called Clean MPG. Most hypermilers use a realtime mileage indicator to keep a close eye on their mileage and take this hobby very seriously.

There are competitions across the country at Hybridfests called the “MPG Challenge” to see who can squeeze the most mpg out of their car. The winner of last years challenge was Mr. Gerdes, the founder of Hypermiling as he recorded an average of 180 mpg in his Hybrid Honda Insight to take home the title. Most Hypermiles will however, admit that many of their techniques are downright dangerous and they would not recommend it to anyone.

At the extreme end of fuel efficiency, there are ultra-efficient vehicles designed for competitions such as the Shell Eco Marathon. The world record for the most efficient gasoline powered vehicles is held by Microjoule, a team that builds ultra-efficient vehicles. The team has broken the world record for most efficient gasoline-powered vehicle three times, each time with over 9000 miles per gallon. You read that right!

Now, how could you achieve great gas mileage without compromising safety? The Missouri Department of Natural resources says this on it’s website:

“Practicing fuel efficient driving techniques can improve fuel economy more than 30 percent annually. Proper driving techniques can save an estimated 10 percent yearly, while maintenance techniques can save the additional 20 percent. ”

Here are some techniques they recommend:
1) Avoid ‘Jackrabbit’ starts. Smooth, moderate accelaration is key
2) Do not rev your engine. Revving the engine sends excess gasoline into the cylinders where it mixes with oil and dilutes. You will have unburnt gasoline in the cylinders which could strip off some lubrication in the cylinders
3) Do not idle your engine: If you need to stop for more than one minute, turn off the engine
4) Use overdrive gears: For highway driving, overdrive gears improve fuel economy
5) Use cruise control: On the highway, maintaining constant speed can improve fuel economy
6) Avoid using the A/C in stop and go traffic if you can
7) Avoid excess weight: Every 100 pounds removed from the vehicle achieves an improvement of 1 to 4 percent
Maintain proper tire pressure: Under or over inflated tires can reduce fuel efficiency
9) Use multi-grade oil: Multi-grade oil can improve fuel efficiency by 2 to 10 percent
10) Get regular tune-ups: Tune-ups can improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent

Bottom line is, don’t get too obsessed with fuel efficiency. Do your best to develop good driving habits. There is a new term called Nempimania which refers to an obsession with getting the best gas mileage. It is derived from a Japanese word “nempi” which means fuel economy. You don’t want to be a Nempimaniac!

Tom Woods runs a blog called Altenergy Web and has a neat tool to compare fuel and CO2 costs for two cars. You can try it here