Extreme Hypermiling Guide

The Extreme Hypermiling Guide is an article on Go Green Travel Green that compiles 450+ ways to increase the fuel efficiency of your car.  Driving enthusiast Wayne Gerdes is credited with coining the term "hypermile," which then gave rise to the neologism hypermiling.  I suppose that rhymes with "smiling", thought I originally mis-read that as hypermilling, which is probably what happens when you give grain-millers a large dose of meth. I digress.

Hypermiling is the act of modifying your car or driving habits in order to increase your miles-per-gallon efficiency, exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated fuel efficiency for your vehicle.

The Extreme Hypermiling Guide has an ugly design, but very useful tips.  I like their commentary on safe versus non-safe techniques, and worthwhile versus non-worthwhile.  

Safe tips: 

• Watch the crosswalk signs (to know if the light is going to change soon)
  
• Leave room in front of your car (to allow for breaking slowly)
  
• Don’t accelerate too quickly.
  
• Don’t brake if you don’t have to.
  
• Minimize running mechanical and electrical accessories (e.g. air conditioning).
  
• Inflate your tires (to the proper psi according to the manual, or just slightly more; too much more and you can be asking for trouble).
  

Unsafe tips:

• Overinflate tires
  
• Place cardboard over the radiator
  
• Tailgate a truck to reduce wind drag
  
• Death turns (turning off the engine when making 25 mph turn going at 50 mph.)
  

Why do people do this?  At Go Green Travel Green, they're aiming to reduce their carbon footprint, since living-off-the-grid is too hard.  Some people are trying to save any money they can with the rising fuel costs, and/or are naturally stingy.  According to My Money Blog, 

"If you went from say a combined city/highway 22 mpg based on your previous habits to 30 mpg (a 36% increase), and you drove 12,000 miles per year with gas at $3.70/gallon, this would save you $538 over a year. Worth it? Your decision."

Other people just like to drive crazy.  It was interesting to see what driving habits increase or decrease efficiency.  Happy driving. 

(From Bilbao58's flickr, and Digg)