How Gasoline prices in the United States soardrivers known as “hyper-thousands” have found ways to improve fuel efficiency and save money on the pump.
One of those hypermillaries, someone who does his best to stretch his fuel economy, is Wayne Gerdiswhich is getting 60% more miles than the Environmental Protection Agency says it should get its Prius Plug-In Hybrid.
“Why burn fuel if you don’t have to?” He said.
This is the gospel of Gerdis, especially leading to Southern California, where it is located the highest gas prices in the country, coming in at about $ 2 a gallon more than a year ago. Nationwide, the average price of a gallon of normal gas is now more than $ 4.25, according to AAA.
Gerdis’s keyword is “smooth”: smooth acceleration and smooth braking. Many of their tricks involve subtle changes in driving, but they can make a big difference. One example is simply going to the speed limit, even on the freeway. The faster you go, the more fuel you burn.
“Speed kills fuel economy. There’s no way to avoid it,” Gerdis told Kris Van Cleave of CBS News.
And the little things add up. Gerdis also controls how often you use the air conditioner.
“I’ll put air conditioning on when I’m over 80. I put it between 76 and 78 degrees because I just want to be comfortable,” he said.
Some hypermillaries make their cars more aerodynamic or drive behind semi-trucks to reduce wind resistance. Gerdis follows the slow lane and follows all traffic laws. He said his slow, steady approach to driving has brought him more than 80 miles per gallon and reduced his fuel consumption by 40 percent, saving him about $ 2,500 a year.
“Every dollar I save on fuel is a dollar in my pocket,” he said.
Brian Cooley, general editor of CNET, said these tips and tricks can be very helpful.
“Optics can be bad for other drivers because it’s not the normal pattern we all follow,” he said. “Most of the tips in the hypermill manual are smart and are things we should have taught ourselves in driver training.”
Other ways to save fuel include keeping your tires properly inflated and making vehicles as light as possible by removing unnecessary heavy items from the trunk or even removing a luggage rack if not in use.
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