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The numbers don’t lie! Hypermiling works!Update on Hypermiling |
5 Comments |
| By Steve Balogh in Conservation, Education, Energy, How To | June 10, 2008 | ||
Here’s some recent stats from my attempt at hypermiling.
5/19/08:
303.8 miles on 12.93 gal = 23.5 mpg (a little lead footed…)
5/23/08:
272.7 miles on 10.15 gal = 26.9 mpg (getting better…)
5/27/08:
330.0 miles on 11.57 gal = 28.5 mpg (best mpg to date!)
5/31/08:
294.4 miles on 12.47 gal = 23.61 mpg (what happened!?!)
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Total 1200.9 miles on 47.12 gallons = 25.5 mpg Average
Some thoughts/experiences: Using the A/C makes a big difference. Also, on hot days, I notice that the cooling fan is running nearly constantly – that must use a bit more gas than normal. I imagine that I could squeak out a few more miles by going 55 instead of 57 mph, but for some reason – my right foot is a Sammy Hagar fan. The boxy shape of the Forester + drafting behind tractor trailers and busses = a jostled ride. Don’t know if drafting is helping much. Much harder not to idle when the temperature is 95 and above. I have to admit cheating a little on that one.
I got an oil change last week and put in a new air filter which should help things. What’s not helping things right now is a sticky caliper on the front left disc brake. It’s on the to-do list to fix. I imagine that it is reducing my mpg by 2-5 as it is an intermittent drag on acceleration.
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For those wondering, here are the EPA estimates for the 2000 Forester (Revised lower this year):
UPDATE: signed up here for a cool way to track mileage after a fill-up. Here’s my badge:
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zach @ Pennywise said,
I assume that this is an automatic (duh)? The real gains come with manual transmission vehicles, which allow you to turn off the engine at stop lights much easier (no putting it in park or anything. . . .).
Drafting behind trucks helps! It’s probably the biggest contributing factor to hypermiling. You should know that my 03 Fort Escort *can* get about 45 mpg but averages 35 – 38 when I hypermile in the city. It normally gets 28.
Tire pressure good?
Steve Balogh said,
Yep, she is an automatic. My wife and I had a stick-shift, but in the hills of Syracuse, that didn’t go over so well in the winters. Let’s just say for the sake of family unity, we’ll stick with the automatics for now.
I purchased a new air filter and have the tires optimally inflated, though I heard that it helps to keep them slightly more inflated than usual? Haven’t tried that yet.
We are going to get a compact car for our next vehicle. Looking at a Toyota Corolla, which I’ve seen some hypermilers get pretty impressive numbers out of.
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