Do you like saving fuel? Of course you do. Yet, even if you’ve taken great steps to save money on fuel — and driving a Nissan is certainly a good place to start — you may not have heard of hypermiling, which is a revolutionary way to improve your personal fuel economy. But what is it, and how can you do it?
What is Hypermiling?
If you’re someone who takes your driving habits seriously, perhaps you’re taking steps to hypermile and don’t even know it. Hypermiling is simply a term that refers to minor adjustments that drivers can make to help get the most out of every gallon of fuel. These adjustments can refer to either habitual or mechanical alterations, and collectively are known — you guessed it — as “hypermiling.”
How Can You Hypermile your Vehicle?
Your car must be set up for hypermiling. It isn’t something that you just do, of course. Your car must be tuned regularly, likely using high-performance spark plugs, and oil of the lowest-possible viscosity that the manufacturer allows. Put simply, you can’t just hypermile with any old car that you put on the road.
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Pay special attention to tires and wheels. When the term “rubber meets the road” is used, we just think of it as a euphemism. However, to get the best performance out of your vehicle, your wheels and tires must be maintained. They must be properly aligned and balanced, and your tire pressure must be checked on the regular. You also don’t want to over-inflate your tires, as this reduces a tire’s traction.
Limit the weight in your car. The only way to truly get the highest fuel economy possible is to eliminate much of the work that your engine does, and this requires pulling unnecessary weight out of your vehicle. It may also be a good idea to only fill your gas tank to half capacity, since the weight of the fuel itself can also limit performance.
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Coast, baby. Here’s where your particular driving habits will help you get the most out of every drop of fuel. To begin with, you’ll want to limit your accelerating, and use cruise control when possible. However, it’s coasting where the real money is saved, since this is essentially just free mileage. Be aware of other drivers while coasting, use hills and valleys to your advantage, and never idle when you can avoid it.
A/C is not your friend. The consumption of in-car energy will also hurt any efforts toward hypermiling, which is why you’ll want to only use A/C when you’re traveling at highway speeds. You also won’t want to roll down your windows (or put down a convertible top), since this produces drag on your vehicle. If your A/C must be used, it should be cycled whenever possible.
So, who’s ready to save some money on gas by way of hypermiling? We hope that his works for you, and that you’ll come see us soon at Avondale Nissan!