Hypermilers

photo by Mel

All of a sudden, Americans are concerned about gas mileage, even Americans who love their Hummers. I know I certainly want to puke every time I get gas, (mainly because oil companies are making outrageous profits while claiming that their hands are tied).

Well, the "Hypermilers" are a group of folk determined to get the best possible gas mileage. NPR had the story yesterday, and it had some pretty good tips:
Then there are the "hypermilers," drivers who strive to boost their gas mileage by changing their behavior behind the wheel.

They include Kent Johnson, who was found recently at a parking lot outside Laurel, Md., leaning against his red Chevy Aveo hatchback, holding his right shoe.

He had driven there with one shoe off, the one for the accelerator foot, "so you can feel the pedal pressure a little bit easier," he explains. "You know, when you're trying to eke that extra little bit, then, just small things can add up."

[Tips:]
• Don't use quick accelerations or brake heavily.
• Don't idle excessively.
• Don't drive at higher speeds. This increases wind resistance and mechanical friction, which reduces fuel economy.
• Frequent short trips reduce fuel economy, since your engine doesn't operate efficiently until it is warmed up.
• Remove cargo or cargo racks, which increase aerodynamic drag and lower fuel economy.
• Don't tow unless absolutely necessary.
• Minimize running mechanical and electrical accessories, like your air conditioner.
• Avoid driving on hilly or mountainous terrain if possible.
• Don't use four-wheel drive if it is not needed. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder.
• Park your car face out, if allowable, so you don't have to back out of the space and turn needlessly.
• Minimize having to stop at red lights by scanning the road far ahead and preparing to slow down well in advance.

Even better tip: ride your bike if you can!

The 55 MPH Movement is gaining ground (rim shot, please), too. (We've contemplated this before here.) Treehugger has a great article about this here.

A girlfriend also sent me these tips about buying gas, but I have not been able to verify their veracity, so ignore if you like:

-Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum
products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

-When you're filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

-One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

-Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

Related:
Exxon First Quarter Earnings 10.9 Billion - Americans Getting Screwed
Oil Company Profit Links
Biofuel



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