News 8 Story on Hypermiling

[richardallyn]

May 27, 2008
Hi there –
I am a producer at KFMB News 8 here in San Diego, and am working on a
news report on hypermiling. We are trying to find a driver in our
area to talk about (in basic terms) what hypermiling is, what the
average driver can do to hypermile, and how it can help improve your
gas mileage. We are looking to talk with someone this week – if you
would be willing to interview, or could refer us to someone else who
might be able to talk with us, I would really appreciate it. Please
feel free to give me a call at 858-472-4395 or to drop me an e-mail at
rallyn@kfmb.com.

Thank you very much,
Richard Allyn
Field Producer
KFMB/News 8
7677 Engineer Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 472-4395
rallyn@kfmb.com

[ZC1]

Please I hope you don't attempt to mix hypermile with average drivers.
Hypermiling is not for average drivers.
There is a different safe fuel economic way of driving the Prius but it doesn't count as Hypermiling.

Hypermiling is seen as a form of extreme attempts to gain the most fuel mileage.
Since news outlets, such as yourself, thrives on broadcasting extreme forms of behaviour, this would not be a good representative of the Prius or it's drivers here on Priuschat.com.

IF anyone responds to this request, pay close attention to what you say or do, remember the news offices have editing rooms.
(I'm afraid the news will link crazy antics with Priuschat or the Prius itself).

ZC1

[Danny Hamilton]

Originally Posted by ZC1

Please I hope you don't attempt to mix hypermile with average drivers.
Hypermiling is not for average drivers.
There is a different safe fuel economic way of driving the Prius but it doesn't count as Hypermiling.

Hypermiling is seen as a form of extreme attempts to gain the most fuel mileage.

Hypermiling is a term that represents the concept of significantly exceeding the MPG determined by the EPA. While some people choose extreme and occasionally illegal methods to accomplish this, average drivers who take advantage of the legal and less extreme practices often can accomplish hypermiling results.

Unfortunately the news media has found on more than one occasion that the legal and reasonable practices can be rather boring. Without a reasonable effort made by a skilled reporter, these techniques don't make for very compelling copy. However, by lazily editing out the mundane common-sense efforts that the average driver doesn't want to bother with and focusing the report on the attention grabbing extreme and illegal methods, various news providers have found that they can talk about "hypermiling" with little effort and still end up with something the average viewer will choose to watch.

This lack of effort and reporting skill leaves many with a very flawed impression of what hypermiling is. As such it neither properly informs, as a news source should, nor does it encourage the viewer to make beneficial choices.

Some simple hypermiling techniques that everyone can make use of if they were willing to put in the effort:

• Check tire pressure regularly and ensure proper inflation.
• Check engine air filter and clean/replace as needed
• Maintain the slowest legal speed at which you feel safe.
• Watch traffic and traffic lights for a significant distance ahead
• Keep a buffer of AT LEAST 2 seconds between your vehicle and the one immediately in front of you.
• Avoid sudden and hard stops
• Begin stops and slowdowns early to avoid using the accelerator any more than necessary.
• Time deceleration at traffic lights and slowdowns to maintain as much momentum as possible and avoid needing to accelerate from a complete stop.
• Accelerate gently (avoid jack-rabbit starts)
• Use air-conditioning and heating as little as possible (use vent setting whenever it is sufficient for comfort), but keep windows up at all but slow speeds.
• Plan routes that reduce stops and driving speed.
• Walk or ride a bike for short trips

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come immediately to mind.

[ZC1]

The list you provided is a combination of normal driver items combined with some Nempimania items.

Normal driver techniques as you listed:
- Check tire pressure regularly and ensure proper inflation.
- Check engine air filter and clean/replace as needed
- Keep a buffer of AT LEAST 2 seconds between your vehicle and the one immediately in front of you. (this one may not be in the owner's manual)
- Avoid sudden and hard stops
- Avoid jack-rabbit starts) (some owner manuals had this, others don't)

All normal techniques taught in school, learned at Motor Vehicle departments and read in owner's manuals, and of course not excusively owned or dreamt up by hypermilers. It would be crazy to suggest the EPA gas mileage figures don't include the above items and that one could significantly exceed the EPA estimates using such techniques.

Obviously the news department is not looking for this information. They already have it. This isn't about normal maintenance or safe driving habits.

They are looking for Nempimania information, which items you did list, such as:
Accelerate gently. ( I think gently would be better replaced with abnormally)
Maintain the slowest legal speed at which you feel safe.
Watch traffic and traffic lights [and time them] for a significant distance
ahead
Use air-conditioning and heating as little as possible
Begin stops and slowdowns early to avoid using the accelerator any more than necessary
Time deceleration at traffic lights and slowdowns to maintain as much momentum as possible and avoid needing to accelerate from a complete stop.
Plan routes that reduce stops and driving speed

You forgot:
Riding the right hand yellow lane line.
Not braking for turns
Driving to destinations only using right hand turns, never a left turn.
Etc

Before we bought our Prius, my wife and I watched a newscast on Hypermiling and Wayne Gerdes, of course it included the Honda Insight and the Prius. After Wayne Gerdes, we both thought what weird ways people are obsessed to get the highest fuel economy numbers.

The item you listed has me baffled:
Walk or ride a bike for short trips

(Not using the car is a hypermile technique??)

ZC1

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah cause using the car for short trips hurts fuel mileage so if you can find some other means of getting there, do it.

[Danny Hamilton]

Originally Posted by ZC1

. . . .All normal techniques taught in school, learned at Motor Vehicle departments and read in owner's manuals, and of course not excusively owned or dreamt up by hypermilers. It would be crazy to suggest the EPA gas mileage figures don't include the above items and that one could significantly exceed the EPA estimates using such techniques. . . .

You might be surprised. The EPA numbers really are quite unrealistic, and depending on your particular driving conditions they can be rather easy to exceed. I use only these techniques you identify as "normal" and maintain a better than EPA lifetime fuel economy.

The point is that many people don't seem to realize or care that these "normal techniques" can significantly improve fuel economy as compared to the behaviors of the "average" driver.

Originally Posted by ZC1

. . . .Obviously the news department is not looking for this information. They already have it. This isn't about normal maintenance or safe driving habits.

They are looking for Nempimania information. . . .

Interesting. I've not heard this term before. I'll have to check it out so I can understand it's appropriate use.

Originally Posted by ZC1

. . . .Accelerate gently. ( I think gently would be better replaced with abnormally). . . .

If "normal" is defined as the behavior of the majority, then I'd probably have to agree given the quantity of jackrabbit starts I witness. Personally, I'd say the most appropriate adverb would be "reasonably".

Originally Posted by ZC1

. . . .Maintain the slowest legal speed at which you feel safe. . . .

In a society where the generally rule seems to be "maintain the fastest speed at which you feel you can avoid a ticket", I suppose I can see how you might not find this rule to be a matter of "safe driving habits". Seriously though, If vehicles would all simply maintain legal speeds, they'd find significant improvements in their fuel economy.

Originally Posted by ZC1

You forgot:
Riding the right hand yellow lane line.
Not braking for turns
Driving to destinations only using right hand turns, never a left turn.

If you want o eek out every last hundredth of a MPG these may be helpful, but they really aren't necessary to significantly beat the EPA. The "not braking for turns" begins to encroach on the "less safe" techniques that really should probably be avoided (along with following larger vehicles with less than a two second gap)

Originally Posted by ZC1

Before we bought our Prius, my wife and I watched a newscast on Hypermiling and Wayne Gerdes, of course it included the Honda Insight and the Prius. After Wayne Gerdes, we both thought what weird ways people are obsessed to get the highest fuel economy numbers.

This was pretty much my point about lazy reporters. From what I've heard, Wayne generally recommends the many safe, legal, reasonable techniques for improving fuel economy. In addition he is willing to share some of the more extreme methods he uses in his personal interest in gaining the best fuel economy he possibly can out of any given vehicle. The reports either leave out the mundane stuff, or make only brief mention of it. Then they go on to make sure everyone notices some of the "weird ways people are obsessed to get the highest fuel economy numbers", as you've pointed out. This leaves the average viewer with the impression that unless they are willing to engage in "weird" and extreme techniques, there isn't anything they can do to improve their personal fuel economy. As such they are left poorly informed and discouraged from attempting to drive more economically.

Originally Posted by ZC1

The item you listed has me baffled:
Walk or ride a bike for short trips
(Not using the car is a hypermile technique??)

Yep. As has been mentioned, most vehicles get their worst MPG while warming up. Short trips keep the vehicle in this "warming up" state causing the driver to use significantly more fuel. Longer trips mean that this warming-up penalty
is averaged in with the larger number of efficient miles driven leading to an improved fuel economy and less fuel used overall (as compared to an identical number of miles driven in multiple short trips).

[Bob64]

Nempimania is the Japanese equivalent of hypermiling.

It translates roughly to "Mileage Maniac" or being obsessed with mileage.

[KK6PD]

Well hey, you all missed CNN's Miles O'Brian, explaining how to HYPERMILE a YUKON XL thru N.Y.C. traffic. They had a ScanGuage II hooked up to the Yukon, and before Hypermiling, a wopping 3.2 MPG! Pretty PATHETIC.

Now throw in the secrets of Hypermiling and the MPG jumped to a wopping 5.something!!! Yep Hypermiling pays off in that application.

We then had the guy who figured out Hypermiling by pushing his Accura on a roll jumping in and slipping the Automatic transmission into gear ... he would then SHUT OFFF the engine at certain times and coast, then firing up the engine, not use breaks, that sort of thing. He was claiming 50 or so MPG... way to much work for me,

But very interesting!!!

73 de Pat KK6PD

[tayloryadiel]

hey this thread is very informative ....