Thursday, 12 August 2010

• Currently Sliders - The First and Second Seasons By Jerry O'Connell, John Rhys-Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks, Sara Botsford see related

  Life in the Slow Lane - Part 1: Driving Lessons

  Ever since the 2008-2009 gasoline hike, when things were heading towards $5/gallon, I've been working on maximizing my fuel efficiency.  I started out just slowing down a little, leaving a little bit earlier, driving the speed limit, or often under it on four-lane roads.  This did help a bit, but at the time, it wasn't quite enough for me.  I wanted to really push the efficiency envelope.  So, I started doing some research, and I came across a wealth of practical knowledge on the interwebs.  Turns out that the serious road warriors call the practice "Hypermiling."  The really serious ones are also somewhat bonkers - you hear them talk about drafting behind semi-trucks, or slowly accelerating to 90 on the highway and then cutting the engine while coasting down to 55 again (because they don't need anti-lock brakes or anything).  I decided not to get really serious, but I did learn a few things that almost anyone can put into practice.

  Firstly, my acceleration patterns changed.  I stopped "gunning it" and started getting extremely precise.  I began to take notice of the minimum points my automatic transmission would have to reach before shifting into the next gear.  Manual transmissions are best, of course, but automatics, with a bit of patience, can be manipulated just as well.  For instance, on my Milan, I can be in 6th gear at 45mph, and it will hold the gear down to 36mph.  So, when I'm driving on a 40mph road, I get to 45mph just long enough to get into the best gear, and then I slow back down.  The result?  I cruise the city streets running at about 1000rpms, a fuel-sipping point for my typically inefficient V6 engine.

  Secondly, I got extremely picky about my engine idling.  I've learned (and most car manuals even say this) that when you start a modern car, it takes all of 10 seconds in the summer and maybe 30 seconds in the winter to fully lubricate your engine.  The idea of "warming up" your engine is a myth - the best way to warm up your auto is to drive it easily.  Likewise, on average, 8-12 seconds of idling will use more fuel than stopping and restarting your engine.  Why?  Because when you are idling, you are getting 0mpg, but when your engine is off, you are getting ∞mpg (that's infinity, for you non-mathematical types)!  So, I said an infinite "no" to all drive-thru windows, I started shutting off my car immediately whenever parked, and for a while I even killed the engine at some notoriously long red lights (a difficult practice to maintain, I'll admit).

  Finally, and most impactful of all, I started coasting, which is really something everyone needs to learn how to do, especially as Hybrid cars become more standardized.  Coasting is just what it sounds like - taking your foot off the gas pedal and letting your car slow itself down.  It saves your transmission and it saves your brakes, all the while increasing fuel efficiency... by a lot!  Coasting is a tedious skill, though, and one that won't make other drivers around you too happy.  Most people want to accelerate down hills, up exit ramps, and right into red lights.  But these are precisely the places you want to be coasting.  The best places to practice are on routes you take very, very often.

  For example, for my local church friends - if you're heading East down Republic Road towards Campbell UMC, try letting off the gas around Hebrews Coffee Shop or earlier.  It's four lanes there, so if someone wants to go around you, they can, and if you were already going 40mph, you will find yourself easily coasting right up to the Campbell UMC driveway.  In fact, it's slightly downhill there - so you may not even slow down much, and you won't stop, I promise!  There's nothing to lose and a little bit of gas to save; at most, you may arrive 30 seconds later than had you accelerated to the front door.

  Clearly, this all began more as a money-saving endeavor, but it has become habitual.  So much so that I am amazed at the way I used to drive.  My car is nothing to shake a stick at these days.  It's not a lightweight, little four-banger, and it's not a hybrid or anything.  It is EPA rated at 18mpg city and 27mpg highway.  But when I employ these techniques, I am able to consistently get 23-27mpg in and around Springfield and 28-32mpg on long road trips, depending on the season.  That's, at worst, an average of 3mpg better than what is normal for my car.  If I went with that number, that means in the past two years (30,000 miles), I've probably saved roughly $400 in gasoline solely due to my driving habits.  In reality, that figure is probably higher.  Friends, that's like getting 10 free tanks of gas for slowing down and not using drive-thru windows.  Sounds kind of enticing, doesn't it?

  We never want to believe that little changes can add up to big impacts, but in this case, they really have - at least they have for me.  And the nice thing is that it's not just my bank account or my car that has been impacted.  So, what else, then?  Well, nothing earth-shattering, but definitely a few things eye-opening.  Stay tuned for Life in the Slow Lane, Part 2: Life Lessons. 

  --kory // www.korywilcox.com

  • 3:56 PM
  • 94 Views
  • 2 eProps
  • 5 Comments