Comments on: Hypermiling - A Viable Way To Save Gas?

By: Jewel Topsfield

Jewel Topsfield — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:27:50 +0000

Dear Rob D and others,
My name is Jewel Topsfield, I am a journalist at The Age newspaper in Melbourne and am doing an article on hypermiling. If anyone has tried it I would be very grateful if they could contact me on 03 9601 2059.

By: Rob D.

Rob D. — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:27:36 +0000

I started trying to hypermile a couple of weeks ago after reading an article about it in the paper. I haven’t done any research on it to date and have just been going off the feedback I get from the L/100km readout on the car. I drive a VY Commodore wagon - not the most economical of beasts - hence the desire to improve the milage a bit.

Before I started changing my driving habits I was averaging about 12.3L/100km driving around where I live. Since changing, I have been getting about 11.4L/100km, which is about a 7% improvement in fuel efficiency. I have just now looked up a bunch of hypermiling sites and found a few more techniques that I plan to employ. I’ll keep you posted as to how I go. I’m trying to get under 11L/100km.

The final thing to say is that for me, hypermiling is addictive. I am really enjoying driving. It’s heaps of fun cruising around trying to get that number to edge just that little bit lower. It’s also changed me from being a perenially late person to a punctual one, as nothing blows out the milage like driving fast when you’re running late.

By: PINTAOZHANG

PINTAOZHANG — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:04:10 +0000

Good blog.I like your blog

By: craig

craig — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:55:30 +0000

Thanks Dean! If it was simply a test done for myself I would invest the time in fitting a variable resistor or as you say a wide range O2 sensor however the point was to see if the average motorist would be able to manufacture and install one of these systems, which in this case I think is a bit over the head of the majority and certainly not as simple as what they make it out to be.

In my spare time (ha ha) I am devising a way to measure the resulting air/fuel ratio, taking in to account the added oxygen from the HHO system, however I am yet to come across a reliable way of doing this and the extra effort is in my opinion not going to be out-weighed by the gains. The ‘unknowns’ are what worries me the most particularly when put in the hands of non-mechanically minded people.

Anyway that’s my 2 cents worth (again!) and thank you for taking the time to leave your comment.

By: dean lewis

dean lewis — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:39:45 +0000

Good on you for giving it a go. Suspected it wasnt as easy as they said. Also from other reading on the net. Still 9% is nothing to sniff at. Seems to me the easiest way around it is a wide band oxy sensor but that admittedly is extra hassle and expense. Great effort anyway. Cheers