I'm sure this has been discussed in another thread but I can't seem to find the right place so I'll restart the discussion...

What are the driving techniques that everyone uses to maximize their MPG? I see reports of 50-60 MPG but can't seem to quite get there. I have about 1,200 miles on my new HCH II and I am averaging about 42-45 around town.

 

Brad - Here is a great article that taught and trained me on many techniques, http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1306. The single biggest improvement this article taught me was how to get/maintain the car in "EV-Assist" mode (detailed in Section II of the article). There are many roads that I travel that are rolling terrain and you can either coast and add throttle or get a good head of steam initially and use the EV-Assist mode to increase the mpg by several whole numbers. If my SOC is 6 bars then I don't need to keep charging the battery going down hills or slight downgrades so I get the car into EV-Assist mode and lose some charge from the battery but increase the FE from, say, 42 mpg to 45 mpg then when it is at 45 mpg then it can go to 48 mpg. Good article though with many good tips.

 

Number one technique is to just slow down. Wind resistance plays a huge role in efficiency. Second is to avoid the air conditioner, as you'll take a massive penalty for using it. Third, use foot control instead of cruise control. The CC tends to rev higher than it needs to for any given speed. Other things to learn as you gain experience:

- DWL: Driving With Load. Keep your foot position unchanged as you go up and down hills. Bleed off speed as you go up, and gain as you come back down, rather like a roller coaster.

- DWB: Driving Without Brakes. Anticipate things like stoplights and upcoming traffic so you can avoid using your brakes unless absolutely necessary. Just don't live life at 20mph and tick off everyone behind you.

- P&G: Pulse and Glide. Speed up to a little above the speed limit, then let go of the gas enough to get a single bar of regen, let the iMPG meter max out, then *GENTLY* apply gas pressure to three assist bars (You can actually get four, but at that point, the slightest pressure excess can throw you back into ICE driving). Great when going down a medium grade hill, or flat land with nobody behind you.

Even more advanced techniques:
- Surfing: Getting slightly in front of and one lane over from a large vehicle, particularly trucks and tour busses. Their air wall fills in your draft void, reducing the drag on your car. Safer than drafting, but very difficult to maintain over long distances. Probably not as effective, either.

- Drafting: Following a large vehicle (again, usually trailers and tour busses) in their wake, so you have essentially zero headwind. *NOT* for inexperienced drivers, people who just got their cars and are learning its quirks, those with poor reflexes, during heavy traffic, or in inclement weather (ESPECIALLY snow, ice, and heavy cross-winds). 3-4 car lengths behind is usually sufficient, and if you find a driver who can maintain a steady pace, 65mpg at 60mph is well within reason (personal experience there). You do *NOT* have to get right up on the bumper like they do in professional auto racing. There's no advantage to that, and a distinct safety nightmare.

Finally, you'll see a noticeable improvement (generally about 5mpg) somewhere in the 3000-5000 mile range through no extra effort just as the engine itself breaks in. Slight (~1mpg) penalties have been reported immediately after an oil change, but that usually works out within a tank or two.