This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk.

[MetroMPG]

This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk.

Drafting 18-wheelers with the engine off, taking death turns at 52 miles an hour, and other lessons learned while riding shotgun with the king of the hypermilers

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

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Quite an interesting writeup about Wayne Gerdes, of cleanmpg, he who coined "hypermiler".

I found it both funny (the writer, an "outsider", subjected to extreme hypermiling techniques) and surprisingly engaging - suspenseful even (the "bio" bits are intertwined with a play-by-play of the stiff competition in the 2005 Hybridfest mpg competition).

Also getting a nod in the article is Danny boy, paradigmatic Prius pilot.

[Silveredwings]

OK, so I'm a punk already. :)

That was a great writeup of the hypermiler obsession. I also found it refreshing to see that Wayne Gerdes' main reason for doing it is the same as mine:
in the wake of the [9/11] attacks he vowed to minimize his personal consumption of Mideast oil. As he sees it, Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda received their operating funds from all the U.S. consumers who bought Saudi oil. That money paid for the construction work that made bin Laden's family rich. "If Osama bin Laden didn't have the money to burn," Wayne says, "he wouldn't have been able to do what he did. There was a direct relationship between our addiction to oil and the World Trade Center coming down."

He cites global warming as a secondary reason (as do I). Incidentally, I heard on NPR yesterday that the most outspoken critics of global warming (e.g. Exxon-Mobil) have taken their lead from the Tobacco industry playbook which denied for decades the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. This only proves Nick Nayler is alive and well. :)

[MetroMPG]

Wayne raises in his article another point that I keep coming back to: all new cars should be equipped with fuel consumption displays (a la SG/Mid).

He claims it would reduce national fuel consumption "20%, overnight" and only cost automakers $20 in additional costs.

I don't know about 20% - but would love to see a study done.

Related: In Ontario, one study showed that homes equipped with "smart" electricity meters (that display energy usage in both energy and monetary terms in an easily check-able inside location) reduced consumption by aroun 6% on average. (I looked for the link - can't find it.) So there's some evidence showing how easily accessible info about energy use can lead to conservation.

A long time ago, someone on GS asked what kind of targeted political action might be appropriate for GS type groups. ( http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=1589 )

I think pressuring for mandated fuel consumption displays would be a worthwhile grassroots campaign.

[Silveredwings]

Wayne raises in his article another point that I keep coming back to: all new cars should be equipped with fuel consumption displays (a la SG/Mid).

He claims it would reduce national fuel consumption "20%, overnight" and only cost automakers $20 in additional costs.
I've thought that too. It wasn't until I got a car with a "game gauge" that I got really serious about my driving. I've seen others get obsessed with it as well.

Related: In Ontario, one study showed that homes equipped with "smart" electricity meters (that display energy usage in both energy and monetary terms in an easily check-able inside location) reduced consumption by aroun 6% on average. (I looked for the link - can't find it.) So there's some evidence showing how easily accessible info about energy use can lead to conservation.
I've heard there is an order to dealing with additions that come in the form of "3 As": Awareness, Acceptance, Action - and they work only in that order. :cool:

A long time ago, someone on GS asked what kind of targeted political action might be appropriate for GS type groups. ( http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=1589 )

I think pressuring for mandated fuel consumption displays would be a worthwhile grassroots campaign. A lot of cars seem to have one based on the info already stored in the OBD board. That said, I doubt the readout would be as much as $10-20 as Wayne speculated, but then again, there's the problem of redesigning that precious instrument cluster real estate. ;)

[WisJim]

I think that the place to start with fuel consumption displays would be in cars used for driver' ed. Get kids learning to drive concerned about fuel consumption--give recognition to the most economical drivers, get the kids interested in economy and good fuel efficiency instead of acceleration and top speed.

[TomO]

Just had a chance to read that article since I'm sitting here re-imaging 15 iBook G4 machines. Pretty interesting reading. I totally agree that vehicles now should all come with MPG gauges. Only then would the truly ignorant continue to drive wastefully. And as far as instrument gauge real-estate is concerned, most vehicles on the road today all have a good sized LCD display already inside the instrument cluster that spits out trip info, mileage and OBDII codes. It seems that the only manufacturers that would have to invest any money at all would be the ones that don't have the LCD display in the cluster already. Even then the cost is minimal and the savings, over the life of the vehicle, would be great. Because not only would you save money on gas and save gas, but driving slower and more attentively would reduce vehicle maintenance, road maintenance and possibly reduce road rage down to ignorant people that just don't get it.

[MetroMPG]

Teaching new drivers efficiency is a good idea - in theory. In the UK, "evo driving" is on the curriculum.

But having been an instructor, I can tell you that the majority of new drivers have enough on their plates with the mechanics of operating the car, applying the rules of the road, and trying to drive safely.

The curriculum I taught had an efficiency module. But my opinion is that it only had the potential to be worthwhile for students who already had an above average grasp of the basic skills.

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Found one reference to a FCD study. Not a numeric read-out, but an idiot light, courtesy of Toyota:

Toyota says that the Eco Drive Indicator can improve fuel efficiency by approximately 4%.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/09/toyota_introduc.html#more

[pyramid_head]

wow... some dangerous stunts, but so far one of the best how-to's to evade high gas prices :p. i wouldn't mind trying some of his techniques out, but i live in L.A. where there are cars everywhere. People here are unpredictable; they don't seem to use turn signals (many suv's, sports cars/racers, and large trucks), and my poor crx may be pulverized by one of them :(

[MetroMPG]

Pyramid... the article was a good intro, but it's a much abridged version.

Here's a sort of "manual" straight from the horse's mouth: Excellent CleanMPG article on driving technique (http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=1365&highlight=wayne+cleanmpg+hypermile)

[Silveredwings]

...Because not only would you save money on gas and save gas, but driving slower and more attentively would reduce vehicle maintenance, road maintenance and possibly reduce road rage down to ignorant people that just don't get it.
But more opportunity for road rage by the ignoranti at hypermilers, as well as by hypermilers at folks who brake for no apparent reason at the bottom of long hills, etc. :)

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Yesh, very much so with the road rage. I get people backing up behind me, riding my ***, and generally getting pissed because I'm doing 45 in a 55 residential area. I'll coast at 55 and have people pass me up going 75, it's just nuts. And this is a street with houses on it...

[MetroMPG]

I haven't been road raged for a long time. But I live in a small city (less traffic), when I drive, I do it in off peak times, and generally avoid the busy roads anyway.

[Hockey4mnhs]

No road rage here 840 people where i live:D

[zpiloto]

I'll never do it. I agree with Hobbit in the article:p

[Silveredwings]

Yesh, very much so with the road rage. I get people backing up behind me, riding my ***, and generally getting pissed because I'm doing 45 in a 55 residential area. I'll coast at 55 and have people pass me up going 75, it's just nuts. And this is a street with houses on it...
Yeah, around Eastern MA, I've been road raged for going 45 in a 40 zone by the hyperswine in SUVs. They never figure out that the closer they get, the slower I go. No, not to piss them off, but since I have them on my tail, I have to allow more stopping distance for the 4,000+ lb additional iron behind me. :rolleyes:

[MetroMPG]

Your defensive strategy makes a former driving instructor proud.

[86Celica]

I read once on this forum "You'd be surprised how important it is to people to speed up to a red light, then slam the brakes" (or something along those lines). Brilliant. Sums it all up.

Great article, inspirational. Gassavers and hypermilers have an educational task. I often cycle in Brussels, so I'm used to educating other road users about their behaviour. Having the gassavers.org sticker on the rear of your vehicle can perhaps help, as it "explains" your driving.

I have so far always used another parking technique: the "minimal dent spot". Living in Europe, with its tiny cars but even tinier parking spaces, I tend to choose the spot where there is the least chance of others parked next to me to slam their doors into my car. But I might now adopt the "face out" technique, since my 20-year old Celica is looking more and more battered (though more and more aerodynamic).

[smithenhiven]

That article was great. Where can I get a aftermarket FCD for my 92 Accord?

[MetroMPG]

Search for "SuperMID" on this site, or contact Yoshi.

[diamondlarry]

Yeah, around Eastern MA, I've been road raged for going 45 in a 40 zone by the hyperswine in SUVs. They never figure out that the closer they get, the slower I go. No, not to piss them off, but since I have them on my tail, I have to allow more stopping distance for the 4,000+ lb additional iron behind me. :rolleyes:

I agree totally!:thumbup: Pissing them of is just a bonus benefit.:p

[DRW]

I have so far always used another parking technique: the "minimal dent spot". Living in Europe, with its tiny cars but even tinier parking spaces, I tend to choose the spot where there is the least chance of others parked next to me to slam their doors into my car. But I might now adopt the "face out" technique, since my 20-year old Celica is looking more and more battered (though more and more aerodynamic).
Like golf ball dimples? I hesistate to try that on my car:)

I also found that article inspiring, nice find MetroMPG:thumbup:

[red91sit]

haha, very good article. I enjoyed the "Death Curve"