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Aug 1, 2007 10:40 pm US/Eastern
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Hypermiling: How To Maximize Your Gas Mileage
by Paula Ebben
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Even with gas prices dropping, they're still close to $3 a gallon. That cost is just one reason hybrid cars are becoming so popular. It's also fueling a new breed of driver.
Mike Dabrowski spends less on gas each month than most of us spend in a week.
"I can probably get maybe 75, 80, 90 miles per gallon," said Mike.
Call him a hypermiler, someone who gets better EPA gas mileage than the estimates for their car.
But his Honda Insight isn't your average hybrid.
Mike re-engineered the car so that it includes a 5th wheel powered by an extra battery in his trunk.
He even designed a system that gives him manual control of the hybrid engine.
This way he decides when the car runs on battery, and when the engine kicks in.
"If I'm cruising along at 100 miles per gallon and come to a hill, instead of stepping on the throttle more, I just give it a little electric assistance," said Mike.
He can get close to one thousand miles on one tank, that's like driving from Boston to Charleston, South Carolina without stopping for gas.
Mike has sold his manual system to 40 other Honda Insight owners.
Hobbit Walker, of Wayland, is also a hypermiler.
But Hobbit relies more on driving techniques to save gas on his Toyota Prius.
"It's like the slogan says, 'All in favor of hyper-miling, raise your right foot,'"said Hobbit.
To improve mileage, Hobbit said you want to keep your RPMs low.
That means avoiding jackrabbit starts.
You also want time your stops so you slowly roll to the light instead of slamming on the breaks.
"So at this point, a lot of other drivers might go vroom and jump into that gap, and there's absolutely no reason to do that," said Hobbit.
Hypermilers also say you should:
Inflate your tires to the maximum pressure.
Stick to the speed limit - the slower you drive the more gas you save.
Try coasting down hills.
You don't even have to drive a hybrid to use hypermiling techniques to save on gas mileage, but it does take some practice and some patience.
One driver seemed a bit annoyed at our pace on Storrow Drive, even though we were a little over the speed limit.
"You have to sort of develop a thick skin and ingore that," said Hobbit.
That thicker skin might help you maintain a thicker wallet.
For more information about hypermiling log onto
www.99mpg.com and
www.techno-fandom.org.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)