What Are Hypermiling Techniques?

With gas prices at an all time high and continuing to rise all of the time, drivers have to find more creative ways to save on fuel costs.  Many people simply can’t drive less.  Instead, they are trying to find ways to get the most from each and every fill up.  To do this, drivers are starting to change the way they drive, choosing to use special techniques called hypermiling, which is also known as eco driving.

Hypermiling is the practice of using specific techniques that are designed to be able to meet or exceed your vehicle’s standard fuel economy, which few vehicles actually get on their own.  Below, we’ll look at the specific techniques these drivers use and let you know the problems you might have. 

One of the first and simplest techniques is slowing down.  You should always drive at or below the posted speed limit. The faster you drive, especially over 55 mph, the more your gas mileage goes down.  Some drivers try to stay 10 to 15 mph below the speed limit to save even more.  Of course, this could be a problem if you’re holding up traffic.  Whatever speed you choose, the most important rule is to keep it steady.  You don’t want to constantly increase or decrease your speed.  This also lowers your fuel economy, so try to stay at a steady speed and use your brake as little as possible.

Another basic technique is to plan out the most efficient route to take.  Whenever you have to drive somewhere, you should take the time to pick the route that will be better for your gas mileage.  You’ll want to choose a route will fewer stops and other obstructions.  This may take you a while to get used to, but planning your routes can save you some money in fuel costs if you do it right. 

A technique you can easily adopt is using thinner oil when you change your oil.  Thinner oil is easier to move through the engine.  It’s also important to keep up with regular oil changes.  Your oil can become thicker as it ages.  Following these tips can really increase your fuel economy by a significant amount.  Other routine maintenance, like changing your air filter, may also help you get the most from each fill up. 

While the techniques above are effective and safe to practice, the following techniques can be risky.  Due to high gas prices, some drivers are adopting some less than safe methods of saving gas.  One of the methods they use is over inflating their tires.  While this is effective, it can decrease the traction of your tires.  This can be dangerous to your safety.  It can also cause your tires to wear more rapidly, so you’ll have to change your tires more often. 

Other advanced and risky techniques are turning off the engine or switching to neutral gear when they’re coasting.  Of course some vehicles won’t work properly with the engine off.  You should also be aware that some local laws prohibit this technique.  Drafting is another risky technique you may want to avoid.  Drafting is the practice of following extremely close to large vehicles.  Both of these techniques can be very dangerous and probably not worth the amount you’ll save on gas by using them.

As you can see, there are several techniques that hypermilers use to increase their fuel economy.  Some of these techniques are completely safe and can be very effective.  You might want to consider using some of these.  Other risky techniques should be use carefully or not at all.  You can find plenty of ways to save money on gas without risking damage to your vehicle or endangering your safety.