When gas prices rise, owners of hybrid cars feel a sense of relief. Sure, they love having higher gas mileage than standard cars, but what hybrid car owners really love is the pay-back on their investment.
Before making the purchase, all hybrid car owners know they are making a questionable investment in a new technology that may or may not pay off in the long run. While some owners would have bought their hybrid cars without consideration of return-on-investment, most hybrid car owners made the purchase as a way to hedge against the risk of high future gas prices.
The same foresight that causes a person to buy a hybrid car also causes them to have an innate desire to do even more. If you own a hybrid car, that’s probably how you found your way to this article. You are saving gas, but you want to save even more.
I, too, am the owner of a hybrid car. I’m also an engineer with an incredible desire to make things more efficient. As such, I’ve put together the following ideas to help other hybrid car drivers further improve their hybrid car’s gas mileage.
Drive on Electric Power
The easiest way to extend your hybrid car’s gas mileage is to drive in electric mode whenever possible.
After driving your hybrid for a while, you’ll become accustomed to when the gas motor will kick on to provide additional power. Keep the pedal above that threshold and you’ll be using battery power instead of gas power.
Many hybrid cars also turn on their gas motor when the vehicle reaches a certain speed. They do this to assist the battery while also having power ready for rapid accelerations. My Ford Escape Hybrid, for example, does this at about 45 MPH. To avoid this extra gas consumption, pick routes with speed limits below your vehicle’s speed threshold.
Use Less Electricity
Since a key component to a hybrid car’s driving power comes from its battery, your goal should be to use that electricity only for driving. Air conditioning, headlights, and stereo speakers all drain the battery quickly, so use them sparingly.
Adjust the fade on your stereo so that rear speakers are not on unless needed and set the car’s A/C to a reasonable temperature.
Use Coasting
Coasting refers to taking your foot off of the accelerator as early as possible before a stop. Since most energy waste in a car occurs during acceleration and stopping, even in a hybrid car, the key is to do as little of both as is possible. If you’re coming up on a stop sign or red light, start slowing down early and let the vehicle’s momentum pull it forward to the stop. On the other side of the equation, be sure to accelerate gently.
When using this technique, please be aware of cars behind you. Coasting saves gas, but it also takes a little extra time. If the car behind you is in a hurry, they may not appreciate your gas savings as much as you do.
For more ideas on how to save gas, check out the article 5 Ways to Save Gas (and Money).
Drive smart! Drive efficient!
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