What is Hypermiling?

Many drivers like to stretch out their miles and get the most bang for their buck – but some motorists really take it to extremes.

Hypermiling is a practice that’s been around for a while now, and is effectively the art of eeking out every last mile from the fuel in their tank, or energy in their battery.

For the uninitiated, hypermiling would require you to recalibrate your driving style, though the benefits can pay off if you stick to it.

Though to be wholly effective at hypermiling, it’s not just about the driving techniques in use – it’s also the choice of car and how that car is maintained, and even modified, to ensure maximum economy.

How did hypermiling come to be?

Hypermiling is a collection of techniques that gained prominence in the early noughties.

As fuel prices skyrocketed in the US, drivers began thinking about how to make the most of each drop of fuel in their tanks, especially those with particularly efficient cars.

Since then, hypermiling has gained an almost cult-like following, as drivers look to maximise their achievements in fuel economy.

Hypermiling – driving techniques

Most techniques that help reach the limits of economy are perfectly fine to engage in, so let’s start with those for now.

Not driving – that’s right; if a driver engaging in hypermiling activities can see that the journey they plan to take can be done easily enough by walking or public transport, then that’s the option they’ll take.

Planning the route – if you are to drive, then looking at a route that contains economical boons such as it being as short and as flat as possible will see great benefits, as will routes that offer the least chance of congestion or stoppages.

Reducing overall speed – bringing your average speed down across the whole journey will see great benefits to your fuel economy, especially on routes that include high-speed roads where you can comfortably bring your speed down by at least 10mph.

Read the road – this is something more drivers could probably stand to improve on in general, but if you’re stretching out the miles, then anticipating what’s ahead and making well-timed adjustments will be sure to save fuel.

Smooth inputs – a vehicle will always be more economical when the inputs on components such as the steering wheel and pedals are nice and smooth; you can even wear light-soled shoes when driving to give yourself more feel on the pedals to achieve this.

Braking less – speaking of pedals, it pays to use your brake as little as possible; reading the road ahead can lead to needing it a lot less, as you can just ease off the gas instead.

Coast and glide – again, keeping an eye on the road ahead can allow you to come off the gas and coast before needing to stop (if you even need to), or do this when going down hill.

Air con – make sure to use recirculated air when driving in warmer weather and parking in sunny spots in the winter to defrost the windows are both popular hypermiling procedures.

Controversial techniques

There are a couple of driving methods that may reap some reward, but can get you and perhaps others into trouble just as much.

Engine-off coasting – those a little too dedicated to the cause might literally go the extra mile by switching off their vehicle’s engine whilst coasting, but this can be quite dangerous, not least in modern cars which can switch off servos to important systems such as braking and steering.

Drafting – while this might be popular in NASCAR, on the public highways, getting nice and close to larger vehicles on the road to reduce your wind resistance can end in disaster for you and other road users if you fail to react to changes in speed of the vehicle ahead.

Hypermiling – car techniques

It’s not all about the driving – the car you drive and how you maintain it will also be a massive factor in how many more miles you can get from your fuel.

The car – many choose the likes of diesels, hybrids and EVs in general to get something more economical, and because of this, they are also the types of vehicle hypermilers turn to.

Keep it maintained – proper servicing, maintaining optimal tyre pressures, oil levels and keeping filters clean are all techniques to ensure your car is running at its peak on the road.

Weight and drag – proper hypermilers will look to reduce as much weight out of their car as possible, keeping it light for less fuel use, while removing anything that increases drag to improve the aerodynamics to boot.