Dumb question from a Prius owner...

Hypermiling is simply getting better mileage than the EPA mileage.

 

On Edmunds a number of years ago, a certain person began pushing the limits of what drivers considered normal (and safe) to squeeze out efficiency to surprisingly high levels. As those techniques became routine, the term "hypermiling" was coined to identify the practice.

I neither recommend nor support doing that.

Just drive it.

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If you use the search function and just plug in the term "hypermiling" you will be referred to dozens of threads wherein it is discussed. Happy reading.

 

Actually, it means getting up to a target speed then gliding down to a lower speed then rinse and repeat. It works quite well as the numbers in my signature will confirm.

 

Yea, just drive it. YEA. Don't go have fun with gettin' better mpg. Ok, truth is, I don't want more folks beatin' my 707 miles at 71.6mpg best tank full.

 

Heaven forbid anyone have fun gettin' better FE. I'd hate to see anyone beat my 1056.5 mile 86.9 mpg tank. NOT! I'd like to see lots of people beat that. Bring on the PHEV's!

 

With all due respect, I disagree. If I "just drove it", I'd be getting the disappointing gas mileage results that so many complain about.

Instead, I learned how to take advantage of the unique modes of operation that are designed into this cars drive system and have learned to exploit them, at will, with no effort. Result: gas mileage that exceeds the orginal EPA estimates for this car...60 MPG. Why would one not take advantage ?

Everyone that owns this car should understand the modes termed here as glide, stealth and warp-stealth, and the 41 MPH threshold that seperates the latter one. How to acheive those modes by simple gas pedal inputs. Blend that with logical use of those modes with one's driving conditions, (road slope, traffic speed and flow) and you have a recipe for outstanding gas mileage results.

 

Certain practices included in that definition risk the safety of yourself and others. That's a very good reason not to.

The other stuff is perfectly fine, but there's no term for that.

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When done properly, the techniques described by 9G-man won't "risk the safety of yourself and others." I don't do the death turns or drafting semis at close range and I don't hold up traffic on 2-lane roads and I had several 80+ mpg tanks last summer by using the techniques described by 9G-man. If I just drove it and was happy with just 40-50 mpg, I would be leaving way too much on the table. Keep doing what your doing 9G-man. PM me.

 

The best way to get to a target speed(if traffic permits) is to accelerate without any yellow arrows(assist) going to the wheels on the energy screen. Another way is to accelerate with the mpg on the screen at approximately 1/2 of your mph at any given time.

 

Certain practices included in many people's definition of "normal" driving also risk the safety of oneself and others. It's not the definition; it's the practices.

I understand your philosophy of "just drive it." That is entirely suitable for those who care not to learn how to get more out of it. That likely will be the case for most, and I respect and support that. I understand too that we don't want to portray the Prius as a vehicle that requires any modification of driving technique to get respectable results. Your experience stands as a solid testimonial to that, and sharing that experience serves the Prius community well.

But there are a few who want more and enjoy the challenge of achieving it. It makes no sense not to encourage them as long as it's done safely.

 

I call what I do hypermiling (P&G, pacing to avoid braking, slow acceleration, slow speeds, radiator blocking, EBH. etc.)

Unsafe stuff that some folks do, or that might be done in competition, e.g., close drafting trucks, high tire pressures (above tire mfr. recc.) is Xtreme hypermiling.

 

That is a pretty good definition. To me it makes sense that if you care about saving money and polluting less you would want to use less fuel.

Here is what hypermiling has done for me.

1) Driving Techniques: Learning the different techniques has forced me to learn a lot more about the car then I normally would have. For Example, S1-S4, Warp Stealth, Warp Neutral (to name a few) are things I would never have know about without trying to get better fuel economy.

2) Route Planning: Using routes that use less fuel made me more aware of what effect speed and terrain have on the performance of the Prius. I now use surface streets when I can instead of interstates when practical. I also look at the terrain to try to minimize the hills. This one change has increased my fuel economy tremendously.

3) Speed/Aggressivness: Since starting to hypermile I have changed my outlook on driving. Instead of trying to find the fastest way of getting there and getting mad if people get in the way, I am trying to be the most efficient in getting there. This has slowed me down and given me a different outlook on driving.

Just like any endeavor, you can take things to extremes. I hope to oneday get up to the level the DiamondLarry is with those 80 MPH tanks.

 

It's pretty obvious that the definition is mutating.

Practices like pumping up MAX 44 PSI tires to 60 PSI is just plain not a good idea no matter how you look at it. And that was very much part of hypermiling years ago.

Remember, the term originated from NON-HYBRID vehicles.

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Since most of my driving is on rural county roads, I only go up to a max of 40 mph then let all the way off the pedal then touch the pedal slightly until the arrows all go off. If I've been driving for awhile and need to give my foot a rest, I will throw it in neutral as soon as the arrows go out. If I'm not in any kind of a hurry, I may only P&G from 25 mph up to 30 mph.

 

I think that back then, nobody thought a hybrid could be hypermiled. That is, until people started figuring out how to exploit the features that were built into a hybrid for better FE.