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Driving like a schizophrenic granny. It's the latest craze in weird extreme sports to hit the US and it's coming (albeit at a snail's pace) to a road near you.

Hypermiling is an outrageous form of driving where drivers — called hypermilers — painstakingly hone their technique to wring as much mileage from a tank of petrol as is humanly possible.

Hypermiling is not merely driving in a fuel-efficient manner. It's not only about smooth acceleration and sticking to the speed limit. It's about going to great lengths to achieve highly-implausible consumption figures. For hypermilers, going a centimetre further on this tank of petrol than the last one is a triumph.

Some hypermilers might be doing it to save the planet, while others have their pocketbooks in mind. Most, however, seem to just relish the competition or the challenge of achieving ever-improving consumption figures.

Most sensible hypermilers are able to slash their fuel consumption by 30 percent while those employing more risky and often illegal hypermiling techniques are able to do considerably better.

It all began after 9/11

It all began when Wayne Gerdes, a Chicago nuclear power plant worker, started a grassroots movement dedicated to reducing America's oil dependence in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Gerdes and his conservation-minded peers organised 'races' where the goal was not speed, but trying to get a Toyota Prius to achieve less than 2.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

The movement grew larger, more organised, and more fanatical each year. Nowadays there are even petrol gauges that transmit each user's latest consumption figures to websites where hypermilers driving the same model of car compete with each other.

Hypermiling as a sport in America got a huge boost when Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. used a well-known hypermiling technique to win the Michigan International Speedway.

At his last pit stop, with six laps to go, his pit crew informed him of the need to refuel. Earnhardt, however, drove off without doing so thereby saving time but risking not finishing the race.

Earnhardt turned his engine off and glided when the warning flag was out to stretch how far he could go. He was still coasting when he crossed the line in first place and ran empty almost immediately thereafter.

According to Earnhardt, he's also a hypermiler off the track. "Everybody's doing it," he told ESPN.

Hypermiling techniques for novices

Hypermiling techniques range from the reasonable (i.e. avoiding high speeds) to the completely insane (i.e. tailgating an 18-wheeler with the engine turned off). I'll start out with some of the more sensible methods and progress to ones that will make the hair on your back stand on end…

  1. The first rule of hypermiling is knowing your exact fuel consumption. The second rule of hypermiling is knowing your exact fuel consumption. The third rule of hypermiling is knowing your exact fuel consumption.

  2. Keep your speed down. High speeds increase aerodynamic drag and mechanical friction.

  3. Accelerate and brake slowly and smoothly. A smooth driving style alone can reduce your consumption by as much as five percent on the highway and 30 percent in traffic. Slowing down earlier often cancels out the need to stop altogether.

  4. Don't idle. Hypermilers will always turn their engines off if they reckon they're going to stop for seven seconds or more (if they drive a car with fuel-injection).

  5. Avoid frequent short trips. A car's engine starts operating efficiently only after it is warmed up. Short trips therefore increase overall fuel consumption.

    On a trip with multiple destinations a hypermiler will drive to the furthest one first and then stop at the closer ones as she or he is heading home. This ensures that the car is warmed up for a longer part of the trip.

  6. Avoid starting your engine in cold weather as it takes longer to warm.

  7. Don't idle to warm the engine. Doing so doesn't improve economy and is simply a waste of petrol.

  8. Remove roof racks as they increase a car's aerodynamic drag and consequently its fuel economy.

  9. Keep your boot empty.

  10. Use all mechanical and electrical accessories sparingly. This is especially true of the air-conditioner.

  11. Keep the windows closed especially at highway speeds.

  12. Never tow anything.

  13. Avoid hills and mountainous terrain.

  14. Don't use four-wheel drive if it's not needed. Activating four-wheel drive makes the engine work harder and increases crankcase losses.

  15. Tire pressure. The higher the pressure, the lower the rolling-resistance and fuel consumption.

  16. Expect the unexpected. Hypermilers continuously scan the road as far ahead as they can to look for situations that might impede their momentum.

  17. Maintain your vehicle. A poorly tuned engine consumes more petrol as does a car with misaligned or unbalanced wheels, a dirty air filter or brake drag.

Got all that? From hereon things start getting a bit surreal, and scary. Care for shutting your engine off while tailgating a lorry on the highway, or voluntarily passing up a close parking space? Go to page two for advanced (read insane) hypermiling techniques…

On page two: Advanced (read insane) hypermiling techniques…

  • Do you think hypermiling is a good idea or just plain bonkers? Leave a comment below...


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