Hypermiling: How To Safely Save Fuel By Adjusting Your Driving Style
Hypermiling is the art of driving in such a way that fuel use is reduced as much as possible. With many drivers now returning to their regular routines, learning how to safely hypermile could help them save a significant amount of money…
Safe Hypermiling Techniques
Plan Your Journeys – Don’t just go for the obvious routes or whatever the sat nav tells you. If you carefully plan your journeys, you can reduce mileage and avoid anything that might needlessly consume fuel i.e road works, congestion and bad weather.
Give Up The Comforts – Air conditioning, electrical devices and heated seats / steering wheels will all burn through fuel. Why not simply charge up a device that isn’t connected to your car and put an extra layer or two on? This is particularly doable when on short journeys.
Drive Smoothly – The absolute best way to save fuel is to drive safely and smoothly. Be gentle with acceleration, brake in a timely fashion and be in the right gear at the right time. It’s harder than it sounds and requires concentration (not to mention patience) but it will save you money and keep you safe to boot.
Keep Things Light – It’s not rocket science. Keeping your vehicle light will place less of a strain on your engine. Removing roof racks, spare tyres and any clutter in the boot are obvious ways of reducing weight. If it doesn’t need to be in the car, why carry it around?
Maintain Your Car – Keeping your car well-maintained and regularly serviced will keep vital components working at an optimal capacity. When things work as they should, you’ll find your car burns through less fuel.
Monitor Your MPG Readings – Most cars will provide you with a live reading of your miles per gallon (MPG). For those that don’t, you can purchase gauges for a reasonable price. Looking at your MPG reading from time to time is no more risky than looking at any other notification in your car.
Dangerous Hypermiling Techniques (Don’t Try Them)
Stripping Down Parts – As we mentioned, lighter vehicles will use less fuel. Some hypermilers take this to the extreme and look to remove all but non-essential parts i.e. anything the car can do without. They may remove stereos, passengers seats and even airbags. Removing any component can be dangerous for a regular motorist and removing safety features is just silly.
Fuel Additives And Tools – This one isn’t necessarily dangerous, it’s just wasteful. There are a number off fuel additives and components being marketed as a means to save fuel. Anything from chemical compositions to magnets are circulated online. In nearly all cases, they don’t work and some even worsen MPG ratings.
Driving Slowly – The greater the mph the more fuel you’ll consume, this is especially case when you exceed 70 mph (which is illegal anyway). Some hypermiling drivers like to drive as slowly as possible in the highest gear they can. The problem is driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too quickly; especially on carriageways and motorways. Always obey speed limits, but make sure to travel with traffic.
Coasting – Coasting is probably the most well-known method of hypermiling. Cruising in neutral and without acceleration means your car will be moving without guzzling through fuel. That said, you’re surrendering your control over the vehicle and needlessly putting yourself and others at risk.
Drafting – Some drivers looking to hypermile clearly have a death wish. Drafting is the process of switching the engine off after getting as close to the vehicle in front as possible. The tailwind can basically sweep another vehicle along; the larger the vehicle in front, the greater the effect. It works, but you’ll probably end up going straight into the back of a truck eventually.
Overinflating Tires – Over-inflating tyres reduces rolling resistance and that means less fuel will be used. It also means that you’ll have less grip and traction which is (as you can imagine) dangerous; especially in wet and icy conditions. Over-inflated tyres will also wear out more quickly, so any savings are short-lived.
Coronavirus Causes Fastest Fuel Price Drop In 20 Years – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/coronavirus-causes-fastest-fuel-price-drop-in-20-years/
Diesel Cars: Is There Really Any Point In Buying One Now? – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/diesel-cars-is-there-really-any-point-in-buying-one-now/
