Hypermiling – Eco-driving

On this blog, we often touch on fuel efficiency and ways to increase it (see exhibit 1, 2, 3, etc.). Maybe we spend a little too much time thinking about it, but the if you want to see people that take obsessing over fuel economy to new levels, visit the following links.

http://www.hypermiling.com/ and http://www.hypermiling.com/phpBB3/index.php

http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hypermiling-driving-tips-ecodriving.php

http://www.ecodrive.org/

The first three links are to groups and websites that cover “hypermiling”. Hypermiling is all about eaking the last bit of fuel efficiency out of your car by various means. These methods can include gadgets that accurately measure your fuel consumption, driving methods, and even modifying your car to raise your mpg number.

The third link is to a website describing “ecodriving”, a set of guidelines that can be followed to increase your fuel efficiency. The term has caught on in Europe. It is very similar to hypermiling, but is more of an institution with consultants and wide acceptance.

For an interesting and fairly humorous look at the concepts of eco-driving, check out this video from Top Gear of a fuel efficiency comparison between a Toyota Prius driven at full throttle versus an M3.

Quirky Commercial for the Chevy Volt

Found on the Autopia Blog: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/02/wipers-stereo-p.html

Some more news on Electric Cars:

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/renault-will-br.html

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/06/bob-lutz-drives.html

A bit of criticism for EV’s:

http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/current-electric-carsand-why-we-dont-drive-em/

More Volkswagen “News”

What better way to follow up a Volkswagen post than with another Volkswagen post? It’s “news” because it happened back in March.  At the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen unveiled a “Dual-Fuel” Passat that can either be run on natural gas or conventional gasoline. It is still a prototype, but it provides flexibility with regards to fuel supply. And if run only on natural gas, it reduces emissions compared to regular gasoline.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/03/vw-introduces-d.html

The People’s Gas Mileage

From the Wired Auto Blog: The people’s car is taking the lead in high gas mileage vehicles. The “One-Liter” is a 660 lbs. 2 seater Volkswagen that gets 235 miles per gallon. It achieves this extremely low weight and high gas mileage with a carbon fiber body mated to a highly efficient one liter engine. VW had planned to hold off until 2012 to produce the vehicle citing the high cost of the carbon fiber. Since the carbon fiber technology has developed so quickly thanks to it’s use in many industries, including aerospace, the price of the material has come down to reasonable levels. Volkswagen only plans on producing small numbers of this niche vehicle, but it is a great study in what uber-high gas mileage requires.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/laugh-at-high-g.html

2,843 MPG

Quadruple Digit fuel efficieny? At Shell America’s 2008 Eco Marathon, student teams competed for the title of most fuel efficient vehicle. These experimental gas sippers are more closely related to go-karts than actual passenger vehicles, but it’s a cool exercise in efficiency and design.

http://ecomodder.com/blog/2008/04/13/shell-americas-eco-marathon-sets-2843-mpg-record/

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04/13/new-record-at-shell-eco-marathon-2-843-mpg/