8 Secrets to Getting Better Gas Mileage for Hybrids

Photo Credit: Some rights reserved by 아우크소(Auxo.co.kr) via Flickr.

Getting better gas mileage out of your hybrid isn’t just about saving you money, it’s also about saving the environment in every way you can. Simply owning a hybrid isn’t enough. If you really want to look out for those around you and preserve the world we live in for the generations to come, be sure to implement some of our eight secrets below.

1.Reduce Hard Accelerations and Stops

Accelerating and stopping hard is not only one of the worse things you can do for your gas mileage, it also increases pollution more than simply coasting along. Not to mention that, when done consistently, it will eventually wear down your brakes.

One of the best things you can do to get better gas mileage out of your hybrid is to look ahead. Anticipate stops well in advance so you can slowly coast to a stop, gently putting your foot on the brake as you come up behind the car in front.

2. Slow Down

The difference that driving sixty miles per hour instead of seventy has on your gas mileage cannot be understated. Add in the fact that in many areas if you were to drive that extra bit faster you would be speeding (even if not by much). As such, it seems that slowing down is one of the best things you can do to improve both your gas mileage and your ride in general.

3. Avoid High Traffic Times

This includes bank holidays, especially during the summer months, and the weekday rush hour. When you are stuck in traffic, even just for a short period, the start-stop nature of wheeling forward a few feet is disastrous for your gas mileage. In addition, it will release a cocktail of emissions and pollutants into the atmosphere, even as a hybrid.

4. Do Multiple Trips in One

More often than not we’ll take several trips throughout the day (even throughout the span of a single evening) when the need for the trips present themselves.

Tip:
Consolidate multiple trips in one improves your gas mileage because your engine won’t have to warm up several times in the space of an evening. You’ll also be able to take short cut routes from one errand to another, rather than having to start at the same point each time when each trip is taken separately.

5. Travel Light

This point can contradict the previous if each of your trips requires you to be carrying around large quantities of equipment (or people). But, in general, one of the quickest and easiest things you can do to instantly get better gas mileage out of your hybrid is to look in the boot and pull out anything you don’t need. Be sure to keep safety equipment with you at all times. Aside from that, take things out if you don’t need them for your immediate trip.

6. Try Different Routes

Just because one route is shorter doesn’t mean it will present you with the best gas mileage. If, for example, the shorter route you’ve always taken has a large number of traffic lights along the way, regardless of the fact that it gets you to your destination faster you will get a better gas mileage by driving a less stop-start route. As what has been mentioned above, stopping and starting is one of the worse things you can do to your gas mileage.

7. Always Check Your Tire Pressure

Keeping your tires properly inflated is an important tip drivers have been harped on about for decades. It is incredibly important not just from the point of view of getting better gas mileage, but also for the sake of safety. Driving with poorly inflated tires is hugely dangerous both for you and all other drivers on the road. Besides, for every two to three pounds below the recommended pressure your tires are, your gas mileage reduces by approximately one percent.

8. Don’t Creep

We all do it out of habit, though there’s really no good reason why we should as we all know it doesn’t get us anywhere faster. When waiting at the traffic lights and the car in front of you begins to creep ahead by just a few feet, don’t follow.

Moving into that space won’t get you to your destination any faster, but briefly warming up your engine again to move forward a couple of feet will reduce your gas mileage for no good reason. It may take a while to reduce your muscle memory until you finally break the habit, but once you do you will be glad you did.

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