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Hypermiling Handbook

Tips for fuel efficient driving

 Contents
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The light flashes up and you shudder at the thought of stopping,
filling your car and having only an empty wallet and a pack of
mints to show for your five minutes at the petrol station.

You’re far from being alone. So how do you avoid it happening

quite so often? Well we thought we’d compile some of the best,
most practical tips on increasing fuel efficiency in one handbook.

Feel free to share this guide far and wide; email it to your friends,
print it out and share it on your favourite social networks.

We think ‘hypermiling’ sounds much cooler than ‘fuel efficient

driving’, so if you have some hypermiling hints to share, or want
to let us know how you have got on, please visit us at:

www.facebook.com/trusteddealers
www.twitter.com/trusted_dealers

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As fuel prices and concerns about the environment
increase, so does the efficiency of modern cars.
One of the best ways of increasing fuel efficiency
and reducing your expenditure on fuel is to invest
in the latest technology.

Consider your choice of

car. Big isn’t always
beautiful, small and frugal
could save you a packet.

1
Underinflated tyres waste fuel because they
increase a car’s rolling resistance and therefore
increase the energy required to keep it moving at
the same speed.

Check tyre pressures every fortnight and inflate

them within the manufacturer’s guidelines. Don’t
overinflate tyres as this can severely impact the
handling of your car.

Badly worn tyres will also decrease fuel

efficiency, so check the tread regularly.

2
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Removing clutter from your car will reduce its
weight and decrease the load it has to move, thus
increasing the car’s fuel efficiency.

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Roof racks and other accessories make your car
less aerodynamic. Less aerodynamic vehicles are
less fuel efficient. Bike racks and cargo boxes will
also add weight to your car, further reducing fuel
efficiency.

Take unnecessary Remove accessories

weight out of your that increase weight
car to reduce your and effect your cars
headache at aerodynamics.
the pumps.

3
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Dirty intake filters, worn out oil and knackered
spark plugs all reduce your engine’s efficiency,
which is turn means higher fuel usage.
Making sure your car is regularly serviced will
help maintain fuel efficiency.

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Evaporating petrol will escape from a petrol cap
that isn’t properly sealed.
Ensure yours is to avoid wasting fuel and make
sure broken caps or seals are fixed as a priority.

Get your car regularly Check your petrol cap

serviced to maintain is shut and not broken
fuel efficiency. or without a seal.

4
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Don’t start your engine and then sit idling.
Drive off straight away if possible.

Cut your engine if you need to wait longer than

expected. Modern fuel injection engines use
less fuel to start then they do during half a
minute running.

Start your engine and go. Wait around with the

engine running.
If you stop for more
than a minute it is
more efficient to shut
the engine off.

5
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Air conditioning reduces fuel efficiency – full stop.
If you can avoid using it then do. At low speeds
cut the air con and open windows and your
sunroof to cool off.

At higher speeds shut windows and sunroofs to

reduce aerodynamic drag and increase fuel
efficiency. Try to use your car’s fans to cool down,
only resorting to air conditioning as a final step.

Look at alternatives to air

conditioning at low speeds,
but accept it has to be used
when speed increases.

6
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Drive in the highest gear possible without
labouring the engine. Modern cars are governed
by sophisticated engine management systems
that control fuel injection and prevent petrol
flooding the engine and being burned inefficiently.

Try not to let your revs reach inefficient levels.

Move up a gear before 2,500rpm in a petrol car
and 2,000rpm in a diesel.

Change up and use Stutter along in a high

higher gears as soon gear at low speeds.
as possible when This can prove
building speed. dangerous to yourself
and other road users.

7
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Accelerate and break smoothly to conserve fuel.
Accelerating sharply and then braking sharply
wastes energy and consequently fuel.

Think of yourself as driving without brakes. Look

and think ahead so that you can anticipate what
other road users will do. Also try to safely predict
what traffic will do at junctions to prevent braking
sharply. Leaving space between yourself and the
vehicle in front will help you to do this.

Brake and accelerate Drive erratically. Make

smoothly. Learn to sure that you don’t
anticipate what other endanger yourself or
road
Look users are goingtotoair
at alternatives other road users.
do so you canatavoid
conditioning low
accelerating and it has
speeds, but accept
braking sharply.
to be used when speed
increases.

8
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The aerodynamic drag created as your car
passes through the air only increases with speed.
Reducing you speed on motorways and other fast
roads will cut fuel consumption.

A vehicle’s most efficient speed is generally just

after you change into the highest gear. Driving at
85mph uses 25 per cent more fuel than travelling
at 70mph.

Reduce your speed to cut

your fuel consumption.

9
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Cruise control can be beneficial if you are the
type of driver whose speed gradually creeps up,
or if you are struggling to hold a steady speed.

Generally, using cruise control is less efficient

than managing the throttle yourself. It should only
be used on flat roads, as cruise control will
increase throttle on uphill stretches to maintain
speed and releases again when going downhill –
which is at odds with efficient driving techniques.

Use cruise control on Use cruise control on

flat roads if you struggle hilly roads, as it will
to control your speed. control the throttle
inefficiently.

10
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As mentioned above it is worth considering that
modern fuel injections don’t use as much fuel to
start as older engines. Start-stop technology in
modern cars plays on this fact.

Cut your engine if you Cut your engine if it is

are stationary for more dangerous to do so.
than one minute. Always remain in
control of your vehicle.

11
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Finally, a use for your trip computer! Keep your
average mpg on screen at all times to monitor
fuel consumption.

Reset the computer when making regular

journeys and compare and contrast driving
techniques to understand what works best for
you and your car.

Think of improving your fuel consumption as a

game – and keep improving your score!

Keep a track of your

average mpg and try
to improve it.

12
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Time spent in stationary traffic queues is fuel
wasted. Try to vary your route and find roads that
aren’t as busy.

That said, taking a much longer route to simply

avoid traffic could result in you using more fuel.
Try out a few routes to see which one suits you
best.

Keep moving to reduce Rat - run through

your fuel consumption.
residential areas, or go
too far out of your way to
avoid traffic - you could
well end up using more
fuel!

13
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Leaving yourself enough time to make a journey
will ensure you don’t rush and drive quicker. If
you feel under pressure you will drive faster and
brake harder.

Driving efficiently means that you will often drive

in a more relaxed way than other road users.

Leave yourself plenty of

time to reach your
destination. Remember
the story of the tortoise
and the hare…

14
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If you have to make more than one stop when
completing your weekend errands then travel to
the furthest point first. This will mean you are
doing the majority of driving when your car is
warmed up and using less fuel.

If your route involves a hill then pick up heavier

items at a higher point than your home. This will
ensure gravity gives you a helping hand on the
way back, and prevents you from having to power
up hills with a full load. Also try to combine jobs so
you avoid making multiple trips.

Plan your journeys and

make the most of trips out
by combining errands and
considering your route.

15
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Using your vehicle’s brakes is the most inefficient
way of stopping because it results in an
immediate loss of kinetic energy – ultimately
meaning that fuel is converted into heat and
brake dust.

When coming to a stop try to coast up to a

junction and slow gradually, providing you with
the opportunity to continue if the lights change. It
takes much less energy to accelerate a car that is
already traveling a few miles per hour than it
does to accelerate from a standing stop.

Try and drive without Get out of control,

brakes and coast to a hold up a huge queue
stop where possible. of traffic, or put your
fellow road users
at risk.

16
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Fast paced music has been proven to negatively
influence drivers, making them more impatient,
aggressive and likely to speed.

In contrast, slower paced music is more relaxing

and reduces stress – meaning you drive in a
more controlled way.

Swap Mozart for Motorhead if

you want to drive in a controlled
and fuel efficient way.

17
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When you arrive at your destination carefully pick
your parking spot.

Back into your space – it will make it easier to

exit and therefore you will spend less time, and
use less energy, negotiating out of your parking
space when your engine is cold and more
inefficient.

Also, park on the periphery of any car park to

avoid the congestion that other cars and
pedestrians can cause in busy areas.

Back into spaces so that

you use less fuel when
manoeuvring to leave
the space.

18
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