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Owners of hybrid cars are taking the plunge for those of us
still driving the regular gas-only engine cars. Although they
are getting some perks for having these electric/gas hybrids,
they still want to improve their gas mileage. In fact, although
some drivers have reported much better gas mileage than they had
with their regular cars, they are finding that their
expectations have not been met quite the way they imagined they
would be. In these cases, some hybrid owners have actually made
it something of a game to try and get better and better mileage.
It appears that the expectations are high with hybrids. Some
models of hybrids are getting in the 60 mpg range for cities and
highways. For some owners, however, the expectations are not
being met because regular consumers are not driving like a
trained tester. Experts on hybrid cars and driving in general
are trying to consult with the owners to show them that the
mileage guides were not deceiving them after all. After some
workshops done with hybrid drivers, owners have reported much
better mileage after taking advice from the experts. The added
bonus from mileage tips for hybrids is that they also work for
those of us who have not yet been able to make the switch over
to these mileage makers.
For certain hybrid cars, the term "pulse and glide" is becoming
popular. This basically translates to finding the zone with the
hybrid where energy use leveled off between the electric and gas
engines. Lexus and Toyota get to claim use of the pulse and
glide which is best found when driving somewhere between 30 to
40 miles per hour. Getting into this mode requires a little bit
of fancy foot work which involves gradually getting to the speed
(within the 30's to 40's range) which you want, and then once
there, pressing quickly on the gas pedal. After this quick
press, a Toyota or Lexus hybrid driver will get a clean screen
on their dashboard which shows all black arrows. This indicates
that energy use has stabilized. When this tactic is used
properly, it is possible to double or triple your mileage. This
process takes a little time to get used to but is probably a lot
easier than driving a manual transmission or parallel parking.
Another top tip for saving on gas mileage will be a little
harder to hear. The key is to take the rushing around out of
driving. Slowing down and driving at the speed limit for a
change is one of the best ways to save on gas. Although this tip
might require some organization and lifestyle changes, it will
also save you the most money. A dime saved on every gallon is
the estimate by energy agencies when you stay slow and steady. A
hybrid, or any car for that matter, does not like a lot of stop
and go, either. Luckily, driving a little slower will give you
more opportunities to see which lane will keep you from slowing
down up ahead, so hopefully, you will not need to make a lot of
sudden stops. Keep in mind the word "glide" as much as possible.
This will keep you from having to continually accelerate and
break to get where you are going. When drivers get into that
mode, they also tend to speed to get out of whatever cluster
they are in and get into more accidents on top of that.
Accelerating to get through a yellow light may save you 15
seconds, but it will not save you any mileage on your hybrid.
One of the other top tips for adding mileage to your hybrid is
to pay a little more attention to your tire pressure.
Under-inflated tires can reduce the mileage performance on a
hybrid by at least 10%. This is large enough of a number to
inspire a trip to the auto shop for a tire pressure gauge. The
trick is to stay just under the maximum recommended tire
pressure and make sure that you are checking the pressure once
or week. Slow tires make a car drag, so let your hybrid become
the super-mileage maker that they aim to be by making a note on
the calendar to check them.
About the author:
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online
and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16
year old son. Get patented car care products for your
car at http://www.stopwaxing.com
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