Hypermiling - The new menace on the road?

[ForTheGlory]

Consumer Reports Cars Blog

This Insight driver was going to ridiculous lengths to hypermile, but I think the author is also making some poor assumptions about why people in general try to do it. Also has a PC mention.

[diamondlarry]

I think this is another case of finding what you want to find and reporting on only that. If they had done any investigating at CleanMPG.com they would see that drafting trucks at less than a car length is not recommended. It is only mentioned because it does work but is much too dangerous to use. It would be like saying that steroids don't increase muscle mass. The fact is that they do but it is much too dangerous to go that route. Acknowledging something and recommending it are two completely different things.

As for running red lights, that isn't recommended either. However, timing the lights to miss the red light is stressed. A true hypermiler will grit their teeth and hold back a few choice words and stop.

[Pinan]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

A true hypermiler will grit their teeth and hold back a few choice words. . . .

Nah..You gotta vent.

[xsmatt81]

wonder who this hypermiling perp is

[cnschult]

I wouldn't hypermill w/o some type of computerized laser cruise control that could sense the truck slowing down & slow you down within 0.02 seconds, otherwise it would be too unsafe, if I was a cop I would arrest anyone following another vehicle at less than 1 car length.

besides, the money you save on gas by hypermilling can't be nearly enough to repair the damage to the hood from the rocks the trucks kick up.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by Pinan

Nah..You gotta vent.

Ok, I do vent sometimes and it's not pretty.

[Bob64]

That person isn't a hypermiler.

A true hypermiler would time the lights so that he arrives right as it turns green.

[Sheepdog]

I havent really thought of myself as a hyper miler as yet. I do try to time the lights so I dont really have to stop completely. Someone here had a saying that I liked:I went something like:

slowing down is better than stopping. When a light ahead is red I let off the throttle and coast with light braking to move to the light slowly but not stop if I can help it. Its better to be rolling than start off from a dead stop. Kepp that inertia moving kind of thing.

I will P&G some almost successfully but only in city streets and not on the interstate. There I will crusie control at 55 or 60 in the right most lane.

Havent yet gotten over 50 mpg for a tank, maybe I would do that anyway.

[bwilson4web]

Anyone notice the irony:

• Insight driver was the road jerk
• PriusChat was accused of 'bragging' about Insight style driving

Ok, sack cloth and ashes for everyone. PriusChat is the cause, a bragging forum for ... an asshole Honda Insight driver ... because the blog author said so. I especially enjoy the irony of who is cited as the 'responsible' sources.

The world is big enough for all points of view but to blame the actions of a Honda Insight driver on the claimed 'bragging' in PriusChat while claiming CleanMPG is 'responsible' ... sorry but that is a bit more irony than I care for.

Bob Wilson

[TheAnnoyingOne]

We have E-mail and Snail-mail;
We have Driving and Hypermiling;
We have Normal and RoadRage;