‘Hypermiling’ means changing your driving techniques and habits to get the maximum MPGs out of a tank of petrol in your car. The ‘father’ of hypermiling is Wayne Gerdes, who invented the term and 
who has managed to achieve 59 MPG in a Honda Accord.
You can hypermile in any car – it’s a good way to reduce both fuel costs and wear and tear of the vehicle, and it can also help you drive more safely.
Techniques used in hypermiling include:
- Ensuring the car tyres are at the correct pressure.
- Decluttering the car to remove unnecessary weight.
- Keeping the car in good condition and serviced regularly.
- Removing roof racks etc and keeping windows closed to reduce drag.
- Turning off air conditioning to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%.
- Anticipating changes to reduce use of the brakes.
- Planning the route to drive more smoothly without stopping and starting.
- Turning off the engine in queuing traffic.
- Driving more slowly – a car doing 50 mph uses 30% less fuel than a car doing 70 mph.
- Using thinner engine oil.
- Driving in soft shoes or socks to develop more sensitive use of the throttle pedal.
If you are planning to give it a go – be warned – it’s addictive! Hypermilers are competitive, and there is now even an official title of Most Fuel-Efficient Driver in the World. Nempimania is the term used to describe an obsession with getting the best fuel economy possible!
You can find more information on hypermiling techniques at hypermiler.co.uk. You don’t need a special car and can benefit from hypermiling in your old banger, but if you are feeling flush they also have a list of the most efficient cars available to purchase in the UK, all of them capable of over 65 MPG.
The Green Car Website is also a real mine of information about cars with low CO2 emissions available in the UK.
Act on CO2 have a page of advice on smarter driving techniques with a calculator tool so you can work out how much money you are likely to save.
Of course, the biggests savings are made by leaving the car at home. Over one third of car journeys are less than two miles – cycling or walking sometimes on shorter trips might even turn out to be more enjoyable than a car ride and good exercise too.
Posted under carbon footprint, money saving ideas
