Fuel Efficiency Addiction
by: Guest
Total views: 30
Word Count: 827
Fuel efficiency is one of the standards that a car buyer consider
when looking for a car. In the case of Laurie With,
she is very much obsessed with fuel efficiency. As a matter of fact, she drives
her Honda Civic Hybrid really slowly. On the pedestrian, she accelerates slowly
when the green lights are on. On the hills, she coasts down in order to save
fuel. And on the highways, she sticks in the slow lane; she just watches the
big SUVs pass.
According to her, whenever she sees someone roar past her,
she just thinks the driver used the amount of fuel that could make her Honda
Civic Hybrid vehicle with Honda vent visor
run for a week.
With is a part of a small but tremendously
dedicated group of drivers around the
Now that fuel is climbing past $3 a gallon (R5.65/liter),
if one would analyze, some of their tips are very practical and could help any
kind of driver. Like for example, use substitute
routes so that stop-go traffic will be avoided. Be alert with the lights and
drive a bit more slowly but surely. These are very simple tips.
The “hypermilers” over-inflate
their tires a bit in order to cut rolling resistance, seize every chance to
freewheel with their engines off, and sometimes "slipstream" like
racing cars behind larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks.
Some of their
suggested tips can be delicate, and some cannot even be done in
conventional cars.
Chuck
Thomas is a computer programmer in
Wayne Gerdes has a web site that
focuses on low fuel consumption and he lists other suggested tips to achieve
fuel efficiency. Part of his list is
parking on the highest point of a lot while acing toward the exit. This is to
let gravity get the car moving.
He also recommends slipstreaming
off the left rear corner of a truck so that wind resistance will be reduced
while still allowing the driver to see you. Furthermore, he suggests following
the truck at a gap of about one second. This is because, according to him,
drafting any closer contributes eye-popping fuel economy, and at the same time
too dangerous.
He adds the use of "pulse and
glide". This is where the driver accelerates above the speed limit, then
switches off the engine and glides to a speed below the limit.
Fuel efficiency is easy to attain with a hybrid. In a conventional or standard
vehicle, it can be dangerous because power brakes may not work so some
automatic transmissions will not go into gear at freeway agility.
Kurt Antonius, Honda spokesperson,
said that their company shared ‘hypermilers' enthusiasm for fuel economy but
could not endorse some of their strategies. He added that it may be great to be
flowing on the racetrack. But on the highway, it is a big NO.
Moreover, Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Mark Peterson
commended the efforts of the hypermilers and their goals. But he said that
drafting in less than three seconds behind big vehicles and shutting down a
petrol engine while driving is too dangerous.
But none of those hindered the advocacy of the
hypermilers. As a matter of fact, they share stories
of achievement, backed by photos of fascia displays on different websites.
A burst of technical questions about "intense
pulses" and a "low state of charge on the battery" were
responded to a hypermiler in
Going back to With, she let her car to roll slowly
down the slope of a parking lot before starting it. She avoided a stop sign and
diverted to several blocks down a slight grade through a leafy area.
Her Honda’s fascia display depicted four liters/100km. But for her car, the EPA estimates should use about
five liters while driving along city-highway. She let her car glide well below
the 80km/h speed limit with no one behind her. Her car’s fascia never displayed
higher than 4.15 litres/100km.
Fuel efficiency is indeed an
addiction nowadays since fuel prices continues to hit its highest. For this
reason, many car owners and drivers do a lot of techniques just to save fuel.
But it is still best to save without compromising you and your car’s safety.
About the Author
Ally
Wahlberg is a Computer Information Systems specialist. Ally leads an active
lifestyle and he is a fan of extreme sports. He is also a car enthusiast and
writing about his interests is one of his passions.
Rating: Not yet rated