Hypermiling, 100+mpg in a Prius

[Ferio_vti]

A combination of somewhat dangerous and illegal tricks to save gas

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

Fixed

[craigcd]

Link doesnt work.

[nissanK]

HAHA they pulled it already so no one will know about it!:rofl:

[adam c]

umm it works.. the op just messed up the link

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

[GQBalla]

kinda weird though and dangerous

[dimi]

It reads 1.3 L/100 km. That's 180.91 mpg. Later, at the awards dinner, Wayne is presented with a one-year subscription to Green Car Journal and a $25 gas card. For all we know, Wayne's still using it.
:rofl:

[Masked Bandit]

I've been reading about this for a few weeks now. I've started using some of these ideas (in moderation) and I'm surprised how much of a difference it makes. I've inflated the tires to 40 lbs, accelerate slowly (within reason) and coast in neutral (with the engine still on) up to red lights. I also try to carry a little bit of speed through the corners when it's safe. I've been able to take the consumption on my truck (2006 Nissan Frontier 4x4) from about 15.5 L / 100 KM down to 12.5 L / 100 KM.

[a social dsease]

I never thought of some of his techniques before, for example parking at the highest point in the parking lot. I try to do some of that stuff and it does help a bit, I've been recording my mileage and my best is 7.404 L/100KM on the highway, but I think having read that article I could do way better if I really tried. I just don't know if I could stand having people honking at me...

[a social dsease]

update: just filled up my tank after trying some of his stuff. Got 169.2 KMs and only 11.404 L of gas!! ! :thumbsup: Thats 6.740 L/100km, all city driving too. I usually average around 8.5 L/100km for city, so thats a wicked improvement.
All I did was drive really really slowly, shut off my engine at lights and down hills, coasted in neutral if it was downhill but too sketchy to turn of the engine, and took corners really fast.
I did have some guy follow me and try and attack me becuz I gave him the finger after he was tailgating me for several kms, but it was definitely worth it since I got almost 25% savings!

[A790]

Originally posted by a social dsease
I did have some guy follow me and try and attack me becuz I gave him the finger after he was tailgating me for several kms, but it was definitely worth it since I got almost 25% savings!
No big deal. Next time have a mini-bat in the car and take out his knees.

I kid, I kid...

[realazy]

I was always told that not stepping on the gas but leaving it in gear to coast downhill uses less gas than putting it in neutral and idling ( in a manual car). Is this true?

[a social dsease]

Originally posted by A790

No big deal. Next time have a mini-bat in the car and take out his knees.

I kid, I kid...

Ya I actually have "the club", not only is it an anti theft device, it can fuck someone up reeeaaall good too. It was some middle-aged balding fat fucker, I probably could have destroyed him with just my fists, but I'm always worried I'll hit them in the sweet spot, they'll drop and hit the ground awkwardly and die, and I'll get charged with manslaughter or some bullshit. Better to just walk away...

As for leaving it in gear as opposed to neutral, I'm pretty sure that you would use less gas if you just had it in gear down a hill, as neutral would use enough gas to keep it idling, BUT - most of the time I am doing this on very gentle slopes, not steep hills. On a very gentle slope if you compression brake you will slow down too quickly and have to give it gas again just to get to a light. I'm talking about seeing a light a KM away and then just putting it in neutral and coasting up to it, letting wind friction stop me.

[Ferio_vti]

On the topic of coasting neutral vs in gear, I've read that fuel injection shuts off completely. While coasting in neutral uses the same as idle.

Here's a thread on the topic:
http://forum.ecomodder.com/showthread.php/coasting-gear-vs-neutral-fuel-cut-feature-1736.html?amp;amp;t=1736

At best, a combination of coasting in neutral and in gear would be best, finding a balance between engine breaking with no fuel consumption and covering better distance in neutral.

A carb engine definitely will benefit from coasting in neutral.

[Gibson]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't over inflating your tires and then proceeding to go around corners faster than usual just wear out them out faster? Save some gas money, spend some tire money.

[Toma]

That is very cool!

It's little niches like this that might finally make mileage "cool".

I really liked how the Japanese have these contests in the Prius' etc, and was reading their techniques.... some of them drive barefoot and other silly stuff lol

:thumbsup:

[SCHIDER23]

:eek: :eek: I actually finished all 4 pages really interesting, but I'm not sure if I could handle people honking at giving me the finger lol, my dad reminds me of this guy he never accelerates hard when the light turns green he usually accelerates really slow I feel like everyone is giving us the finger when he is coming out of a light.:rofl:

[Canmorite]

He'll save a ton on gas, and have to replace his tires once a year :rofl:

[RealToyCars]

Some of these fuel-saving ideas are good ideas (albeit not originally new as my dad used a few of them back in the 70's and 80's, especially on long road trips), but some of them are dangerous. And having young inexperienced drivers start using them is asking for some serious trouble on our streets and highways.

Driving downhill in neutral or with the engine turned off... Try employing a sudden evasive maneuver when another vehicle unexpectedly pulls out from a side road that requires you to accelerate to avoid the incident. The time needed to pop the transmission in gear or start the car again... well, let's just say TOO LATE! Not to mention that other functionality is disabled when the engine is turned off... like the power assist for the steering, possibly brake assist, etc.

Tailgaiting a semi-truck... I've seen enough cars wrapped around the rear wheel of a semi-trailer or the car cabin of a car wedged under the rear bumper of a semi-trailer on my travels on the highways of North America to know that it's not really a good idea to tailgate a semi. They stop a lot faster than you realize. But if you do tailgate one, make sure you don't stop at the same gas station as the one you followed... cuz the driver will come over and bash you one on the nose.

Cranking a turn too fast because you don't want to hit the brakes to save fuel.?! What about the pedestrian crossing the road out of sight around the corner? Or another car stalled out of sight around the corner? Make sure to have your engine turned off so you can give the cop more than one excuse why you couldn't stop in time.

And tires inflated to maximum pressure?! Yikes! You do realize that when you're driving on the highway on a hot prairie summer day with the sun beating down on the asphalt that the friction on the tire plus the hot asphalt will increase the tire temperature quite a bit and thus, increase the tire pressure by several pounds! There would be nothing more fun than blowing a tire at highway speed while cranking one of those too-fast turns with the engine turned off.

[ninja6o4]

I agree, the stunts they pull are pretty dangerous.. but it sounds like the subject of the article is far more attentive on the road than most of the drivers on the road. However, some ideas are just plain bad (tailgating a semi and taking highway ramps at 50+ mph)..

[pf0sh0]

I don't think its really worth it, sounds awesome, unless you're broke broke broke flat broke... sorry sorry reference to kanye -

[nbaker00]

Intersting article.
Those Prius' are weird enough to drive as it is without using special tecniques for better mileage... Engine shuts off when you come to a stop or are in neutral.. Even when backing up it goes off the battery... The engine only starts when you hit the gas.

I actually sold a Prius last summer to a Beyond member, and he traded in a Porsche Cayenne.

[autosm]

And tires inflated to maximum pressure?! Yikes! You do realize that when you're driving on the highway on a hot prairie summer day with the sun beating down on the asphalt that the friction on the tire plus the hot asphalt will increase the tire temperature quite a bit and thus, increase the tire pressure by several pounds! There would be nothing more fun than blowing a tire at highway speed while cranking one of those too-fast turns with the engine turned off. [/B][/QUOTE]




Good point but would the tires run hotter at lower pressures? As they would have more rolling resistance and more friction at lower pressures. Less rolling resistance with higher pressures?

This is what was causing the tire failures on the Ford Exploders.

[autosm]

The semi trick works at about 50 feet. More than enough time to stop unless you are driving another semi.

Unless you have a shitty paint job and a bad windsheild its not going to make any $ sense


In the States you will see long lines of trucks doing just that.

[HondaRice]

i was thinking his car has a little claw on it that extends its self and connects to the bumper of a semi and then he gets his mpg like that. (like dr. claw's car in inspector gadget)

[RealToyCars]

Originally posted by autosm
The semi trick works at about 50 feet. More than enough time to stop unless you are driving another semi.

At 60 MPH (100 kph), you're going 88 feet per second.

So if you take your eyes off the back of the semi for a second to change that CD, grab your coffee (or other favorite caffeine beverage), or glance at your kid in the back seat, that 50-foot gap will close way too quickly to stop in time or get outta the way (which is probably exactly what happened to many of those cars I saw wrapped around the rear tire of the semi-trailer).

According to a recent Myth Busters episode, you only have to be within 100 feet to start seeing some fuel savings (I'm sure some conditions apply regarding wind direction/speed).

[Chris88CL]

Originally posted by RealToyCars

At 60 MPH (100 kph), you're going 88 feet per second.

So if you take your eyes off the back of the semi for a second to change that CD, grab your coffee (or other favorite caffeine beverage), or glance at your kid in the back seat, that 50-foot gap will close way too quickly to stop in time or get outta the way (which is probably exactly what happened to many of those cars I saw wrapped around the rear tire of the semi-trailer).

According to a recent Myth Busters episode, you only have to be within 100 feet to start seeing some fuel savings (I'm sure some conditions apply regarding wind direction/speed).

That is true, but keep in mind the Semi isnt coming to an immediate complete stop the instant he touches his brakes. Even if he was emergency braking it still takes a great distance to slow down that much mass (even with his 18 braking wheels).

Still not a great idea, but if gas prices keep going up it's only going to get worse.

[shirshamshir]

i think if your willing to go through all this trouble and danger to save gas, just take the bus...

[2EFNFAST]

Has anybody else actually seen people here hypermilling? If anything, i'd say lately people are driving even far more aggressively.

[megavolt]

I don't do anything this crazy, but I definately drive conservatively in my TDi.

[g-m]

if I use an extra 5$ per tank of gas I know I had fun for the last 400km
I bought my car knowing the best gas mileage it was every likely to get is 24mpg. I get 17 nominally in the city but quality of life man! I'm always hella stoked to drive ANYWHERE