Hypermiling II - The Results

Since I started the experiment last month, I have increased the fuel efficiency of my car by about 33%, just by changing my driving habits. Awesome.

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Hypermiling - The Great Experiment

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about a guy who regularly gets 50+ MPG in his Honda Accord. Some of the techniques he uses are dangerous and potentially illegal, but many of them are quite simple and pose little risk.

With my current car (a 1998 Honda Accord 4cyl auto), I typically get about 22 MPG around town. I am going to see if by using a few simple hypermilling techniques, I can improve that to somewhere near 27 MPG.

What I plan to do:

• Drive much slower. Going 70 instead of 55 won't save me much time on short commutes, but it uses significantly more fuel.
• Accelerate slowly. I will try to keep my engine close to or under 2000 rpm (redline is 6000 rpm), whenever possible.
• Coast in neutral on downhill slopes and between stoplights. My engine idles below 1000 rpm, but when in gear, it revs much higher.

Here's a list of things I won't do:

• Shut off my engine while driving. This is nuts (plus, I think it will kill my anti-lock brakes and power steering).
• Take turns at wild speeds. Some guys will do this to conserve momentum, but any gains in fuel efficiency will be lost in towing expenses and medical bills if I drive off an overpass.
• Impede traffic. I will try to keep my speed low, but I will not block the flow of traffic. If I'm on a multilane road, I will stay to the right. But if traffic conditions are congested, I will match my speed with that of the other cars.
• Drive without the A/C on. Are you fucking crazy?
• Drafting. Thanks, but no thanks. I value my life.

 I will post my results here as the experiment progresses.

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