I've been trying an experiment the last month or two.

I filled up two tanks... same gas... same gas station.

The first tank we hypermiled the best we could.

The second tank we drove normally without a fanatical obsession to hypermiling.

End results... our MPG was almost the same.

The good aspect of this is that the Altima hybrid seems very forgiving for those of us who aren't masters of hypermiling. The bad side is I really wanted my fanatical devotion to hypermiling to show better results.

What is odd is that early on I saw a bigger difference between hypermiling and not, but now that the car is broken in the results don't seem as different.

 

All depends on a lot of variables. Summer will yeld a larger difference that winter, traffic conditions and driving environments have a major say in the difference --weather also.

In a car as heavy as my TCH (and I suspect in the NAH also) I find that some old hypermiler techiques like P&G are either impossible or are simply not relevant in any realistic driving scenario. That said, there is a significant difference in FE depending on how you define "hypermiling":

1. Do you use target speeds or target FE values (by gauge) when hypermiling? .. and how well do you stick to them?

2. On hills or grades, are you patient enough to accept a loss of speed (UP) or to back down (down) to those target values to mimimize use of the ICE

3. Do you anticipate stops, decelerations, and accelerations to the same extent for both "modes" of driving?

4. Do you route plan to the same extent in both "modes" -- particularly when one route option may have demands for lower efficiency due to higher traffic densities and more stops and starts.

5. Are you willing to accept "social pressures" in traffic when hypermiling? ON a recent trip to the coast, my 58 MPH target speed showed 44-46 MPG on the gauge (proved by fill calculations), but on the Washington highways that got me there, the average speed over short segments was probably well in excess of 70 MPH for some of the cars that passed me and they would probably number in the several hundreds. I did get there 20 minutes behind some of them. That is not always easy to accept in some social situations.

My reward was 45.2 MPG vs a very probable 37 MPG. A savings of slightly over 5 bucks or 1.3 gallons for the 354 mile trip (just over half a tank). Time lost, less than 20 minutes for the day trip of 11.5 hours total or about 6 hours of driving. Worth it? You decide.

 

I think the real answer is... I'M A FAILURE AS A HYPERMILER.

 

When traveling on the Washington Highway, did anyone, as they passed by, tell you that you were number 1?

Marianne,

I wouldn't declare yourself as a failure in hypermileing. The one thing that I have tried to do is to after the pulse and during the glide phase, to get all the power flows to go dark like your supposed to. Just can't do it no matter how light I reapply the gas peddle. Anyone else try and have that problem? That is supposed to be one of the best tricks to increase mileage.

 

Japanese hypermilers never use A/C or heater.
How about you, Marianne?

Ken@Japan

 

Hypermiling is a skill which can be learned. It's the narrow balance between driving in a way which is (a)not noticed, (b)noticed or (c)a road hog. Just as one can't achieve to be the next Richard Petty at the professional race track without training, one can't expect to get great results hypermiling right away.

I started my own quest in Jan 2004, and came to a peak in Aug 2006 where I logged 1,003 miles on a single tank for almost 75MPG in my Civic CVT.

I began breaking 50, gradually made my way up to 60MPG and beyond driving off- rush hour light traffic. I did lots of kookey things along the way. I used an ice water bucket and cloth instead of AC, some slightly unsafe techniques and drove an alternate, fuel saving route. I commuted home @ 3AM and had been stopped by the cops twice for "odd driving behavior" where they thought I may have been drinking.

My work hours have changed, and so have my driving. I've been traveling 50 miles to work in some of the worst traffic imaginable, sometimes stop and go for 25-35 miles. I spend 18-24hrs a week in traffic- no time to be doodling along squeezing every bit of energy out of vapor.

Although I've shed most of my extreme techniques, I'm still getting 55-60MPG this winter. Keep in mind we have no snow here in GA. Morning trip is often around freezing and 40's afternoon. Last summer I used the AC intelligently and remained around 60-65MPG commuting by myself.
I don't draft trucks, I don't use P&G (Pulse and glide). That is too laborious for me. I just want to drive my car in a reasonable, more "normal" manner.

Here are some tips for a beginner. Please don't take on more than you can handle. If you say "I could never do that" or uncomfortable then don't.
(The tips not believed to apply to Altima hybrid are in brown print)

1. Maintenance
a. Keep scheduled oil changes.
b. Have your front end aligned and tires rotated according to schedule.
c. Increase tire pressure. Mine is at least sidewall maximum pressure while cold. However this may cause traction problems, especially on snow.

2. Winter specific tips:
a. Consider using a radiator block.
b. Install a tank or block heater and plug it in while parked.
c. Your engine is a comparable fuel hog when cold, especially with a load demand. A real pig. Keep cabin temperature to cold for the first 10-15 minutes. Let the tiny engine heat itself first before you.
d. Don't let it idle while parked to "Warm up". Start it up, wait a few seconds then begin your trip.
e. Keep a very light engine load while it's warming up. Be very, very easy on the accelerator until the engine is fully warmed.

3. Summer specific tips:
a. Practice "e" above in the Winter tips, but not as extreme.
b. Use the AC intelligently, don't just set it - and forget it. Turn off the compressor while accelerating or climbing a hill. Turn it on while cruising, coasting, going down hill or stopping. If your fighting a hill, for heaven sake turn the compressor off.
Use your defroster to defog the windows, but set the fan to "off" when cleared to shut the compressor back off.
c. (Altima and other electric AC equipped cars) Use AC to the minimum. If you are in a rolling ice box, you pay for it.

4. Other tips:
a. Slow down. Almost everyone in Joe Public doesn't realize the savings which can be had.
* Leave the house a few minutes earlier.
* A slower moving truck on a two lane freeway can be a real blessing. You can follow at a good, safe distance and the public won't notice you.
* Think twice before passing that slower car. Is it necessary? Why not follow at a safe, courteous distance and save some fuel?
* Travel sub-speed limit, even on a two lane freeway if there isn't anyone else around. Speeders often travel in "packs" and you can gradually come close to matching their speed as these packs of cars pass by.
* Use the Right lane(s) of a multiple lane freeway and travel sub-speed limit.

b. Keep a good traffic buffer
Leave enough space to the car ahead of you so if (when) they briefly slow or stop, you use your buffer to keep momentum. Some folks will use your buffer and jump into your lane. So what? Make a new one. Always watch traffic as far as your eye can see and make adjustments if necessary.

c. Don't accelerate on hills, but rather decelerate.
* Look as far up the road as possible, make a judgement so you won't have to gas it up the hill as the pack of speeders behind you catch up. Decide on a minimum target speed at the top, gradually slowing down on your way up to your target.
* Accelerate while going down hill, and gravity will assist you.

d. Don't idle, don't creep
* Start your engine, wait a second before putting it in gear, then get on your way. Don't ever let it idle while stopped/parked.
* If your Altima auto-stops and the car ahead creeps ahead, don't follow. If it doesn't auto-stop, set your brake and shut it off.

e. Time stop lights
* Time it so the car ahead of you triggers the light green for you.
* You can often tell the status of a light ahead, even if out of sight by the traffic pattern on the other side of the road. (Ex: No traffic=Red, Traffic=Green)

f. Put the shifter to "N" while coasting.
Excellent fuel savings are here, but use extreme caution as can lead to a crash. Don't use this tip if at all doubtful.

g. Efficient driving is accumulative.
True that slower speed and keeping momentum have greater results above most other techniques, but it's the collective effort of every choice you make along your trip.
For example, you've had some great efficiency following that truck, and decide to pass. (OOPS) you had to accelerate hard on a hill to do so for the traffic behind, that you didn't notice was there. That bungle cost you 20 miles of savings behind that truck.

Driving distance effects efficiency
The further you get away from the engine warm-up period, the better your savings will be.
So, If you commute/drive 5 miles your savings will be minimal. If you travel +50 miles it can be maximum.
After you park you car, if at all possible, don't let your engine cool off too much before starting it again. For example I might get home, only to find that I have to run another errand. I don't wait, so I can take advantage of my already hot engine.

Stick with it Marianne and you will see some good results. (No matter what you drive)
You'll be noticed time by time from other drivers, and the goal is not to be noticed (so much).
Anyone can be a road hog, and that's where personal training to correctly adjust for the endless conditions comes in. Above all, be courteous, be safe.

I'd be glad to pound out some more tips if you'd like, but I think the rest are pretty general and covered by others.

-Steve

 

Actually, I did get a few "thumbs up" from some of the passing vehicles (usually the more sane ones!) when I moved over in the passing areas. I also got a few other single finger responses, mostly from Beemers, Big RVs and full sized pickups with lift kits typically passing me at 75-80+, some still accelerating. Not to worry, I got over them a long time ago. Most of these roads were posted at 55 or 65, and I don't think my 58 miles per hour was out of line. (I did increase it slightly when a line up started behind me -- until the next 4 lane stretch. Rudeness has no place in hypermiling.)

 

Marianne, I hate to say this, but the hybrid we are driving is not the most efficient one on the market. I chose this vehicle for many reasons, including style, performance and interior size and fe. My previous car was a saturn sl and I averaged about 36 MPG mixed and 42 MPG all highway, but i had to get out of the car to remove my coat, it was not particularly stylish and lets not talk performance at all. As the Nah gets older and newer technology comes out, we will be ahead of the game in regards to skills acquired during this time. It is possible that 10 years from now a hybrid GAS electric may be too expensive anyway, 40-50-60 MPG may be the 10-20 MPG muscle cars of yesterday. Don't go crazy, if you do, just go out and buy another hybrid, like the prius.

 

While our car is not the best hybrid, it is THE ONE that suits our needs. If I could have lived with the Prius's small size, low power, and goofy looks, I would have gotten that. But, the NAH provides a great compromise coming from an Infiniti G35 powerwise and sizewise, and it does what it's supposed to.

Going back to hypermiling, I found that it doesn't really help much with this car (pulse and glide, etc.) I've only had the car during the winter months so I'm not sure about summer hypermiling, but this car is pretty versatile and yields the same mileage in pretty much all situations.

 

Marianne, you are definitely NOT a failure as a hypermiler.

There is no such thing as failure in hypermiling.

The truth is that any car that has four wheels and a gas engine for its main source of power can be hypermiled! Hypermiling is about using a good set of techniques with the main purpose of beating the EPA ratings for that car.
For many, it is all about "conservation of momentum" and I bet that if you really learn to hypermile your NAH correctly you'll best what some Prius and HCH owners get.

Please have a second and GOOD LOOK at Steve's post (Hot Georgia). Every single bit of advice he provided is GOLDEN. If you want to really hypermile, you'll start following at least one or more of his points - religiously !!

For further info about hypermiling you can also go here:


Cheers;

MSantos