You won't save much money by hypermiling

Forgot to post a screenshot of my previous 60 MPG comments. Here's my 6 gallons I did. About 58 MPGs mostly city, main road driving.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

"Hypermiler Stop."

"But officer, I was reducing my carbon output by preserving inertia."

 

Years of watching this and other hybrid boards have shown me there are newbie phases of hybrid ownership that many folks go through:

First is the amazed/excited/happy phase to see the big FE numbers one has never encountered before.

Next is the confused/questioning stage of not really understanding how it all works.

Then comes the research/education phase when one learns the tricks.

This leads to the implementation phase of said techniques.

The next phase is dependent on the individual: either you hit the big numbers and are content or you become frustrated; either because of the application of said techniques is too difficult (tons of threads on this) or you don't hit the big numbers you've seen others post.

The next phase is where I am now: turn off the consumption screens and just drive the damn car.

 

Hey! That's not fair. I'm up to stage 3 and haven't even got my Prius yet.

 

Oh, an early achiever! Yes, you're going to need to actually drive/own a hybrid for the next steps although one could argue that you really need one for phase one too for the full effect to sink in. IOW, reading about others experiences isn't really the same thing as going through them yourself.

What are you waiting for?

 

You could say I'm chafing at the bit here. Only had an hour in the case with a very knowledgeable sales rep who'd just finished a Prius course last July followed by a one hour test drive. Definitely saw enough to whet my appetite. I'm passed the lusting through the craving stage and now I'm simply yearning for the new key fob ... and all that goes with it.

 

I adopted the simple predictive methods you mentioned for my Dodge truck years ago and it worked then and now in my gen 3 Prius nicknamed "Data."

SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using PriusChat mobile app

 

"Hypermiling" or "just drive it"...in Europe may have more visible results. As per today, gas costs over 1.5€/litre. If one can save one liter per 100km, every 10,000km may well mean about 150euros. Not much, but still worth the time spent, the less braking and the zen attitude...

 

Yes. The easiest way to get better mpg, just cool it.

 

I've had my car for 3 or 4 weeks now, and I'm in stage 3 and starting stage 4. I'm fairly certain I won't get to the lofty heights others have achieved, but I've decided to adopt the attitude that as long as the car desperately wants me to pay attention to its fuel efficiency, I will treat MPG as a game. Sometimes I'll win (like when I averaged 50 MPG over 60 miles of highway a week ago) and sometimes I'll lose (my current average MPG over a tank and a half is under 40 MPG), but it's fun to play and I'll hopefully be able to use the tips and tricks to get better at it.

Also of note regarding the initial post about savings for higher MPG: they may not amount to a ton, but it's essentially free money. I use a rewards credit card to get cash back for purchases, and even though the amount I recover yearly from that is about the same as the savings you described from hypermiling, It's still money I can recover from buying the stuff I'd buy anyway. So I don't think of improving MPG or attempting to do so is a waste of time. On the contrary, I think of it as free money for playing a game and chasing a high score.

 

I managed to get 35 mpg in my Gen 3. I was going a steady 90mph with 4 people and the car fully loaded.

 

I agree with you. The worst possible mileage in a Prius beats the best mileage in any car.

 

if everyone saves a little, all over the world, that adds up.

 

We're driving so little we're only spending about $30~40 a month on gas. That's actually the hands-down simplest way to save money on gas: use less, lol. That said, when I drive carefully conservatively to improve mpg, I'm saving crumbs. Don't care, enjoying myself.

 

If I arrive home earlier, I can spend the time surfing the internet. There goes the savings.

 

The mpg game is a way to make your driving more fun. Maybe I'm just new to it though. In time I could get frustrated by plateauing numbers. I can already tell that I am less bothered by red lights. The reality is that paying close attention to driving/ the road is safer and it doesn't have to be slower. There is too much traffic where I am to gain any time by speeding.