hypermiler

A person who exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's(EPA) fuel economy ratings for automobiles. For example, if a Honda Accord has an EPA issued miles per gallon rating of 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 MPG on the highway, then a hypermiler will manage to get at least 35 MPG in the city and around 43 MPG on the highway. In order to become a successful hypermiler, one must sacrifice a little bit of speed and time, and perhaps comfort. For example, by not using your air conditioner in the car you can save a good bit of fuel. Also, another way to save gas is to avoid jackrabbit starts and abrupt brakes. Another method is to turn off your car when waiting at a long red-light. Another way is to slow down while climbing up a hill and to get off the gas while going down a hill, or if you have a standard transmission, put it in neutral and even possibly turn it off. There are numerous other ways(including some that may be illegal in your state, such as drafting behind 18-wheelers on the interstate), but perhaps the most simple way is to make sure your car's tires are pumped to at least the recommended psi rating(preferably about 7 or 8 psi more), and to keep your car maintained well. There are expert hypermilers out there, such as Wayne Gerdes, who have achieved over 100 miles per gallon using hybrid vehicles such as the Honda Insight. He has even achieved the amazing feat of getting 59 miles per gallon with a regular Honda Accord. So what's the point of hypermiling? Basically, you save gas, and hence you save wampum. If you drive daily you can easily save an extra 200 bucks a year using these techniques - that's enough to get yourself a cool gadget or eat out at some swank places a few more times. You also drive in a more calm manner, and you even help out the environment. You can be a hypermiler with any car. Hypermiling is about the driver, not the car.