Hypermiling

[vanman]

Hypermiling is the art of driving economically and exceeding vehicle manufacturers stated efficiency by modifying driving habits and techniques.
Really safe way to proceed as far as I can see? slipstreaming, coasting, not using brakes if at all possible, driving very slowly. Making getting around very tedious, no wonder no one can/wants to improve their driving. If they really want to save fuel then STAY AT HOME!

[martine]

Yes I quite agree Tom - there is some rubbish advice on t'internet...things like putting it in neutral while slowing...or using really high gears when travelling at 30mph.

[Triquet]

I've done a fair old mileage this month, including grand-daughters birthday in York and daughters OU graduation in Ely. A fair old mix of motorway, dc, and odd A roads. There don't seem to be many people taking much notice or trying to be overtly economic. Maybe one is past so quickly one doesn't notice ....

[GTR1400MAN]

Yes I quite agree Tom - there is some rubbish advice on t'internet...things like putting it in neutral while slowing...or using really high gears when travelling at 30mph.

Yet a lot of auto cars now do this when you lift of the gas, so there is no natural acceleration sense driving. Not that I'm saying it is a good thing! At least on the electric one you can often chose the amount of re-gen on lift off, giving you natural slowing.

[exportmanuk]

I have driven Manchester to London and back a couple of times last month. Kept my speed down to around 60 using cruse control set the system into ECO mode and returned 68 Mpg against a normal 43 ( measured by full tank to full tank) Eco mode (BMW 220D auto) reduces the engine braking. Using the same driving style I drove across to Leeds and back but that only got me to 49mpg so I guess some of it is dependant on the terrain.

[Triquet]

I have driven Manchester to London and back a couple of times last month. Kept my speed down to around 60 using cruse control set the system into ECO mode and returned 68 Mpg against a normal 43 ( measured by full tank to full tank) Eco mode (BMW 220D auto) reduces the engine braking. Using the same driving style I drove across to Leeds and back but that only got me to 49mpg so I guess some of it is dependant on the terrain.

Bravely done, Sir! If I drove at 60 on a motorway I would be terrified of ending up in the slip-streaming gap between two Eastern European HGVs ....

[sussex2]

Yes I quite agree Tom - there is some rubbish advice on t'internet...things like putting it in neutral while slowing...or using really high gears when travelling at 30mph.

A modern car running downhill with the engine idling will I feel sure use more fuel than one using engine compression to help retard it.
We did a simple test of this at work where the Spanish/French drivers had been taught to coast downhill (common practice a generation or so back when there were links and rods and carburettors}.
Many driving 'practices' and advice seem to be well planted somewhere in the 60s.

[jcochrane]

Yes I quite agree Tom - there is some rubbish advice on t'internet...things like putting it in neutral while slowing...or using really high gears when travelling at 30mph.

Yet a lot of auto cars now do this when you lift of the gas, so there is no natural acceleration sense driving. Not that I'm saying it is a good thing! At least on the electric one you can often chose the amount of re-gen on lift off, giving you natural slowing.

If in ECO mode my car will disengage the clutch. I've found it takes a high degree of skill to correctly judge the rate of slowing of the car for a hazard. More demand for extended vision with much earlier lift off.

[waremark]

A modern car running downhill with the engine idling will I feel sure use more fuel than one using engine compression to help retard it.
We did a simple test of this at work where the Spanish/French drivers had been taught to coast downhill (common practice a generation or so back when there were links and rods and carburettors}.
Many driving 'practices' and advice seem to be well planted somewhere in the 60s.

True for a car running downhill which will use no fuel while a gear is engaged. The potential for saving fuel by coasting relates to running on the flat, where the accelerator can be released earlier before starting to coast.

The fuel used to keep the engine idling is less that the fuel saved by releasing the accelerator earlier - so long as the accelerator is released earlier, rather than continuing to maintain the drive until the same point, in which case more fuel will be used by coasting and braking than by using engine compression.

I don't use ECO mode - I am not ready to start slowing early enough to take advantage of coasting.

[sussex2]

A modern car running downhill with the engine idling will I feel sure use more fuel than one using engine compression to help retard it.
We did a simple test of this at work where the Spanish/French drivers had been taught to coast downhill (common practice a generation or so back when there were links and rods and carburettors}.
Many driving 'practices' and advice seem to be well planted somewhere in the 60s.

True for a car running downhill which will use no fuel while a gear is engaged. The potential for saving fuel by coasting relates to running on the flat, where the accelerator can be released earlier before starting to coast.

The fuel used to keep the engine idling is less that the fuel saved by releasing the accelerator earlier - so long as the accelerator is released earlier, rather than continuing to maintain the drive until the same point, in which case more fuel will be used by coasting and braking than by using engine compression.

I don't use ECO mode - I am not ready to start slowing early enough to take advantage of coasting.

Your last sentence? Snap!