Hybrid 'hypermilers' go the distance
Hybridfest
charged up for second year
The Capital Times
7/23/2007
Ben Popper,
Correspondent for The Capital Times
They tune and
modify their cars, obsess over performance and compete on
city streets. In pursuit of their passion, they have
suffered a few crashes and many angry looks as they slowly
coast along.
Surrounded by faster-moving traffic, they are the
"hypermilers," and on and off the road, they are a different
breed.
"Mileage is something I think about the second I get in
the car," said Garry Gattis, a retired fire chief from
Jupiter, Fla., who was among dozens of drivers competing
over the weekend in the second annual Hybrid Fest
competition at the Alliant Energy Center. "Every commute I
take is a chance to get my new best mileage."
Achieving more than 100 miles per gallon in a hybrid car
requires modifying the vehicles and the driving techniques,
as those competing in the Miles Per Gallon Challenge
attested.
"What I've found is owning a hybrid really changes your
attitude as a driver," said festival organizer Bill Robbins.
"You learn a different approach, in large part because
you've got this constant feedback."
Many hybrid cars have dashboard computer displays that
let you know exactly what kind of mileage you are getting as
you drive.
Jerad Parish is a 26-year-old software developer at Epic
Systems in Verona. Last year he only managed 74 mpg in his
2005 Toyota Prius. This year, with some new techniques under
his belt, he won his division with 110 mpg, about 139
percent over the EPA estimate of 46 miles per gallon.
"Last year I made the mistake," Parish said, "of driving
as if it were a normal commute."
Hypermilers like Parish utilize a number of different
techniques -- pulsing up to high speed and coasting with the
engine off, planning far ahead on the road so little or no
braking is needed and coaxing the car into a sort of false
neutral, a technique know as deadbanning.
Of course this kind of super-efficient driving doesn't
always jibe with other travelers on the road, mainly because
it often involves driving well under the speed limit.
One man, who asked only to be identified as "Hobbit,"
keeps a list of the modifications he has made on his Prius,
including the "Yuppie Button."
"Basically the yuppie button fires all my rear lights at
once -- brakes, turns, emergency, everything," says Hobbit.
"I use it when someone keeps riding me too close, and it
usually gets their attention before they rear-end me."
Others relish the new attitude toward driving that owning
a hybrid provokes.
"You say 'Wow, if I was just a little slower, if I was a
little lighter, think about what I could save,'" says
Robbins. "You get this new attitude. When someone cuts you
off you're happy about it."
Robbins says he lets other drivers pass when he can, and
matches the speed of other traffic when he has to. "You're
just not in the rat race of trying to be the first one
there."
And while this kind of dedication is not for everyone,
these drivers insist that everyone can learn to use their
techniques to see results for themselves.
"In England, you now have to pass a course in eco-driving
techniques to get your license," says Bradlee Fons, another
festival organizer.
Fons owns a hybrid, but it's in the shop after a rear-end
accident. "I can take what I've learned from driving my
hybrid and apply it even when driving a normal car. I've got
a Pontiac G-6 rated at 20 to 22mpg and using these
techniques, I can double my mileage."
Something to think about next time you're filling up.
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