Monday, July 21, 2008

Hypermiling To Increase Fuel Mileage

By Bryan Alan

The price of gasoline appears to be settling in at record levels. It is very possible there will be some additional ups and downs over the next several years, but most economists say not to expect fuel prices to decline to levels we enjoyed in 2006 and 2007. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to increase mileage, and they are all contained in the world known to many as hypermiling.

Hypermiling was started by electric and hybrid car owners who were taking the estimated miles per gallon, and devising ways to increase them even further. It is not uncommon to see a successful driver use hypermiling techniques to increase mileage more than 50% beyond the listed mpg's on the window sticker of a vehicle.

An important note to consider is that there are some hypermiling techniques that are actually not legal, and even not safe - but there are literally hundreds of hypermiling techniques that are perfectly safe and legal to do. There is not a requirement of certain vehicle or engine types needed to effectively hypermile and increase fuel economy dramatically. In fact, some of the best benefit can be seen in the larger engine types so commonly sold in the early part of this century.

Several practical examples of hypermiling can be implemented in as little as 10 minutes. While each idea will not achieve significant fuel savings on its own, the combination of several hypermiling techniques will build on each other, and result in aggregate significant savings. There are several excellent guides available that contain huge lists of practical ideas on how to increase mileage to get your started.

Some of the more common examples of hypermiling techniques involve very practical thinking. For example, removing the junk from your trunk will reduce the weight of your vehicle, which means less engine strain and less fuel consumption. Also, a little lesser known idea for hypermiling is to leave a little extra space between the vehicle in front of you and coasting more as you prepare to stop before applying the brake.

Gas prices may never return to levels previously experienced. Take advantage of the technology and insight of experienced hypermilers and start saving at the fuel pump today. Your wallet will thank you.

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