Hypermiling - Fuel-up # 2 and # 3- 7/23/08

This is my first (and second) fuel-up since starting to implement some hypermiling techniques, mostly the basics like limiting acceleration and braking, driving the speed limit and turning off the ignition at long red lights. I noticed a difference just in how slowly the gas gauge moved during the past (almost) 4 weeks on a single tank of gas!

On Wednesday, 7/23/08, Fuel-up #2:

• 8.4 gallons @ $4.04/gallon = $34.01
  
• 231.1 miles from the previous fuel-up
  
• MPG for this tank of gas = 27.51 (231.1 miles / 8.4 gallons)
• 14.7 Cents per mile ($34.01 / 231.1 miles)
• All city driving (Rapid City, SD)

According to www.FuelEconomy.gov, the MPG average for my 1999 Kia Sephia should be 20 for city driving. Not bad. Even beats my "mixed" highway/city driving results from my baseline (25.9 MPG).

On Wednesday, 7/23/08, Fuel-up #3:

• 6.15 gallons @ $3.91/gallon = $24.08
  
• 241.1 miles from the previous fuel-up
  
• MPG for this tank of gas = 39.2 (241.1 miles / 6.15 gallons)
• 10 Cents per mile ($24.08 / 241.1 miles)
• All highway driving (Rural SD)

Wow! I honestly wasn't expecting much change for highway driving, as I didn't do much for about half of the trip besides drive the speed limit. Actually, I know I usually deviate up or down from my "target" miles per hour (MPH) by about +/-5. I used to aim for 5 above the speed limit and range between speed limit and 10 above. This time I aimed for 5 MPH BELOW the speed limit and only exceeded the limit if I was coasting downhill (in neutral) and didn't want to brake and waste that free energy from gravity. I only used the coasting in neutral technique for about half the trip in some very hilly areas.

To compare this to something, keep in mind that my 1999 Kia Sephia should get 29 highway MPG. So, this means I exceeded the city mileage estimates by 7.5 MPG and highway MPG estimates by 10.2 MPG.