ecomodder

The Hypermiler

2,500 Miles at 60 MPG

August 8, 2008 at 11:33PM By Benjamin F.T. Jones | comment

Recently, I had the opportunity to show my ecomodded 1991 Honda CRX at HybridFest, a car show dedicated to hybrids and green technology in Madison, Wisconsin. I was really excited, but I quickly realized that the trip would take a total of 2,500 miles, both from my native New Jersey, then over to my surrogate home in Missouri -- and then back.

This trip alone is more than I would drive in an entire year, so I had to carefully weigh whether or not the environmental impact of the drive would be offset by the potential for teaching the people I met about saving gas. I definitely wanted to get there as quickly as possible, but I also knew how much gas I would be wasting by driving fast. So I averaged about 60 mph over the whole drive.

Luckily, my recent modifications paid off, and I was able to maintain at least 60 mpg over the whole trip. Not only was this gratifying in terms of ROI on my ecomodding efforts, but it meant that the trip only cost about $110 dollars in gas -- and I had good mpg numbers to show off at HybridFest.

You can see for yourself how far I have come with the car since I first got it 3 years ago:

graph of gas mileage for 1991 honda crx ecomodder

What's most exciting about this for me is that I have yet to do any aerodynamics modifications. With those in place I can expect even better fuel economy.

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tags: fuel economy, gas mileage, fuel efficiency, driving, hypermiler, ecomodder, hybridfest

Getting 133 MPG in a 1998 Pontiac

June 24, 2008 at 5:15PM By Benjamin F.T. Jones | comment

When you first start hypermiling, I find, you really wish you had someone to ride along with you to show you the ropes. Sadly, that's not yet an option for most people. Until then, we can learn from some of the best.

darin cosgrove and his hypermiling, ecomodding pontiac

Darin Cosgrove's modified 1998 Pontiac gets insane gas mileage, yet still looks pretty normal.

Darin Cosgrove has been "hypermiling" since before the term was made up, and has taught me more about it than any other person. He runs a variety of websites details his projects, experiments, and thoughts, including MetroMPG.com and ForkenSwift.com. Darin is also the (other) founder of EcoModder.com.

In my mind, he's the best, so I invited him to answer a few short questions about himself and hypermiling.

Hypermiling has received a lot of attention recently, yet you have been doing it long before it became cool. So when did you first start hypermiling?

I was an efficiency nerd 15 years before there was a sexy name for it. My interest in the topic grew out of a part-time job I had teaching defensive driving when I was at university in the early 90s -- the company I worked for had "economy driving" in its curriculum. As an instructor trainee, I researched and gave a seminar on the subject to my fellow trainees, and I haven't looked back since.

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tags: fuel economy, gas mileage, cars, ecomodder, darin cosgrove, hypermiling

Everything You Need to Know About Tires and Gas Mileage

April 30, 2008 at 10:52AM By Benjamin F.T. Jones | comment

Once you've got the basics of fuel economy down, it's time to start getting a little more involved. And what's a better place to start than with talking about tires?

There is very little that's more universal about cars than tires -- every car has them, and almost every owner has gone through the experience of having to buy new ones when the old ones meet their fate.

However, what most people don't know about tires is that they have a huge impact on fuel economy. When you're browsing reviews online or at a store looking at tires, no one jumps out to tell you about rolling resistance or how tire sizing affects overall gearing, so these bits of information tend to go unnoticed.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about keeping your tires pumped up to manufacturer's specs, with some motivated souls going as far as to calculate possible fuel wasted if everyone was driving around on underinflated tires. There is a bit more to tire inflation than meets the eye, though.

The recommended inflation you will find in the vehicle's owner manual (usually 32-35 psi) is based on a number of factors, including traction, comfort, and fuel economy. On the sidewall of the tire, you will find another number (usually 44 psi or 51 psi), which is the maximum pressure the tire is designed to hold safely. Knowing that higher pressures reduce rolling resistance, therefore increasing fuel economy, many enthusiastic EcoModders (myself included) have filled their tires up to the maximum listed on the sidewall.

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