Gas prices are high and look to stay that way. In order to reduce the pain a bit I’ve started using some strategies from hypermilers to improve my gas mileage. I read all I could about their techniques, threw out the dangerous strategies like drafting 10ft behind large semis and came up with the following list.
After one tank of gas worth of hypermiling techniques I increased my gas mileage from 22.4 to 25.1 MPG. Almost 3 miles per gallon is worth it to keep using the techniques, especially since they aren’t hard to maintain.
If you’re interested in improving your mileage, here’s what you can do.
1. No need to warm up car
I used to start the car, then put on my seatbelt and let the car warm up for a little before driving. Now I start the car and go.
2. Accelerate slowly
When the light turns green I no longer stomp on the gas. Instead I accelerate smoothly, shifting at around 2500 RPM to keep the engine from revving too high.
3. Keep moving
When I see a red light ahead I let my foot off the gas and attempt to time it so I’m still moving when the light turns green. Be careful when doing this because cars behind you will not expect this. For some reason most people like to speed up right to the light so they can slam on their brakes just before the car ahead of them.
4. Maintain constant speed (55mph if possible)
Recommendations I read suggested using cruise control, but I chose to do it myself. I usually went 60mph in a 65, giving the added benefit of not having to worry about a speeding ticket. I’ve read that 55mph tends to be the ideal speed for optimum gas mileage.
5. Turn off the car immediately when parking.
I used to leave the car running while I adjusted my windows. Now I turn the car off right when I park, then turn the key back so I can adjust the windows without the engine running.
It’s hard to tell which of these helped the most but I plan to continue using these techniques as well as any others I learn about to get the best mileage possible. There’s little to no downside to using the techniques and plenty of reasons to do so.
