The national average for gas Wednesday is $3.61 a gallon. In North Carolina the average price is $3.60 and South Carolina is $3.48. All three are all-time highs. Drivers are looking for ways to save money.
There’s a growing group of drivers seeing great results. They’re using a technique called hypermiling. It's origins stem from an idea used during the 1970's oil embargo. Hypermiling is defined as driving in a way to obtain the absolute maximum miles per gallon possible.
News 13 met with a new hypermiling convert out of the Pee Dee region. He claims he's averaging 80 miles per gallon. David Maughn is an automation engineer and a self-professed horse-power fan. But after his last car stopped running, he started looking into hybrid cars.
He decided to buy a 2000 Honda Insight. Now the insight is the first hybrid car marketed in the United States. It's published EPA rating is 41 mpg in the city and 61 on the highway, but thanks to hypermiling, Maughn is leaving those ratings in the dust.
“'I’ve been refining my driving style ever since and I've gone slowly up from 60, 70 to 80mpg,” said Maughn. Maughn said it's all in how you drive. "hypermile and pop it out of gear, roll to the light, engines running.">
Maughn says start slowly and drive slowly. He travels between 55 and 60 mph on the interstate and around 45 on backroads. When Maughn and our station photographer started their trip,the mileage jumped to 109 miles per gallon.
He coasts with the engine idling to stop signs and lights and doesn't accelerate on hills. . "Hypermile and pop it out of gear, roll to the light, engines running."
Maughn said you also need to keep your car well-maintained, keep tires properly inflated and don't weigh your car down. He also plans his routes each day.
At the end of the three mile trip, he averaged 83 miles per gallon. He said he still owns his high horse-power cars, but he and his wife are embracing environmentally-friendly living.
"I've learned a whole new style of driving, it was a real stepping stone,” said Maughn. “Now, we're doing more environmental stuff, my wife and I, planting gardens and you now, buying our carbon offsets and all of the stuff, we've kind of gone the whole green route."
The honda insight is equipped with a 10 and a half gallon gas tank.”
Maughn said he used to fill-up his old car twice a week. Now, he only makes two trips a month to the gas station.
If you plan on trying hypermiling, play it safe and don't go to any extreme measures in traffic.
AAA Carolinas reports South Carolina motorists will pay an average of .58 cents each mile they drive in 2008. That’s an .11 increase from 2007. They said that is the largest one year increase ever. They report that translates to more than $1600 extra for a person driving an average-sized car 15,000 when you factor in increases in car prices, insurance and gasoline.
For more information on Hypermiling: http://www.CleanMPG.com
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