Get better gas mileage
This fascinating Mother Jones article profiles Wayne Gerdes, a “hypermiler” (read: Gerdes will do pretty much anything to maximize his car’s gas mileage) who regularly drives 59 miles per gallon in an ordinary, non-hybrid Honda Accord. Thought to be one of the most fuel-efficient drivers in the world, Gerdes embraces fuel-saving tactics that many people would find absurd, like never, ever using the air conditioning or defroster and tailgating semi trucks to reduce air resistance. That said, some of his methods do seem to make sense, and the article serves up some interesting stats—did you know that gas-guzzling jackrabbit starts and hard brake stops only reduce travel time by about 4 percent? That’s only 75 seconds on a 30-minute trip!
If Gerdes’s gas-saving strategies are too extreme for your taste, check out Lifehacker’s past tips on maxing out your mileage. With gas pump prices as high as they are (gas now costs more three bucks a gallon here in Cali), you’ll not only be saving the planet, but your pennies, too.
[via Lifehacker]
