Anyone remember hyper-milers?
I didn’t think so
One of the few advantages of being around for multiple decades, is that you see, and experience, ideas, values, trends, obsessions, and all manner of pop culture expressions from music to film and fashion come and go.
And come and go again. And again.
We Americans love to keep busy – and in motion. And we love our vehicles.
Until we don’t.
Small, fuel-efficient vehicles are super popular – until they aren’t.
Giant trucks and SUVs are super popular – until they aren’t.
And when their popularity drops, so does the price.
In our current capitalist market system, virtually nothing has inherent, semi-permanent value. Any item, from a home to a vehicle to a gallon of gas – or diesel – only holds value if someone else wants it.
Almost every single one of us has a house full of stuff someone wants. But probably not anyone we know.
As I write this, the whole world is obsessing about the price of oil. As they should. The supply is suddenly limited.
Except it isn’t. There is almost exactly as much oil in the world as there was six months ago.
But for a variety of reasons, most of them foolish and self-destructive, oil is not getting to the markets that depend on it: for many, this would be for essential services.
Hospitals and the most basic utilities, like heat and cooking, in many areas of the world depend on a reliable source of fuel.
We in the USA have seen our prices go up, and we complain about that. But few of us are in serious danger of physical harm from oil shortages. Yet.
But some of us have seen this all before, and we remember, in something like muscle memory how to drive while getting our value from every drop.
Frugality has been out of fashion in the USA for many years now, but except for those in permanent party mode in and around Mar-A- Lago, at our expense, frugality in almost every way, in every aspect, has become the primo organizing principle of survival.
Those of you who have not experienced this will probably panic and sell all the wrong things – and keep all the wrong things.
But the first of financial survival is very simple – don’t panic when everyone else does.
Do your best to avoid desperate and rash decisions. Keep a cash reserve so you don’t get stuck financially and, as much as possible, keep the vehicle you have until you can truly afford another one.
The hyper-milers had a basic principle; it was “how” you drive that could save you money. You could, they insist, at minimum, double your milage. Some could get 100 miles to a gallon on a standard car.
How is that even possible? Like everything in life, it just takes focus and discipline.
There are very few single tips that will make a dramatic change in your fuel use – and cost – but in combination, these tips can help your fuel budget far more than you might think.
There are some guidelines and tips to keep your driving budget (almost) under control.
The first principle is simple; drive as little as possible. Use a bus, bicycle, ride share, mass transit – anything except driving, but if you have to drive – do it judiciously. Don’t waste fuel. Don’t waste time.
Don’t stop
Another principle is as simple as it is profound – you get zero miles per gallon while you are not moving.
Hyper-milers rarely use their brakes. And only stop when they have to. Don’t idle.
Get in the habit of not using your brakes.
Your vehicle will slow down as you let off the accelerator.
But it won’t stop. Your vehicle will slow down, but it will keep going at a low speed.
If you see a red light up ahead, don’t zoom up to it. Coast up to it. In fact the slower you approach a red light, the more likely it will be green when you get to it.
My wife says she is ‘going the speed limit’ as she rushes up to stop lights and stop signs. And then stops abruptly. Don’t do that. The speed limit is, after all a “limit” not a suggested constant speed.
Don’t use reverse. When you park, pull in where you can go forward instead of backing out.
The math is simple; the more you accelerate, the more fuel you use.
Accelerate as little a possible. And stop only when absolutely necessary.
Studies have shown that, on the average one-hour car journey, you can save between three and eleven fluid ounces of gas by avoiding idling and turning your engine off instead. Ten seconds is a good benchmark.
Keep your speed as even and consistent as possible.
Weight
Every bit of weight in your vehicle is just more fuel to transport it.
The lighter your vehicle, the better your milage.
Get rid of that clutter. Especially the heavy stuff.
The journey
I didn’t own a car until I was twenty-eight. I rode my bike everywhere for years.
On a bike, among other things, you have a visceral sense of space – especially hills. Most drivers in my area routinely drive up and then down hills without thinking about it.
On a bicycle you don’t think about it – you experience it directly.
To save fuel, avoid hills. And traffic.
Going around a traffic jam might seem counter-intuitive, but as long as you keep moving toward your destination, any movement is better than no movement.
Use GPS to find the most direct way.
Keep that vehicle humming
Maintenance is crucial to keep any vehicle running smoothly. Keep those vital fluids topped off – and keep that tire pressure up to the recommended levels.
Avoid accessories
Avoid the climate control (both heating and air conditioning). Both heating and cooling the interior require work from the engine, which obviously leads to increased consumption of fuel. And if you think you can get around the lack of AC by simply rolling down a window, think again.
Driving with the windows down makes your car less aerodynamic by increasing drag, so for hyper-miling purposes it’s not recommended.
There are various apps and devices that monitor and control aspects of your driving. Use them.
You may not use each one of these tips every time you drive, but they are good tips for driving no matter how much fuel costs.