Fuel Efficiency

EXTREME DRIVING MIGHT BE SAVVY, BUT IS IT TOO RISKY?Following is an article found online regarding "hyper milers" and their extreme driving methods to improve gas mileage. The question is, how far is going too far to save a buck?

Also, we are looking for you to share your unique driving methods to conserve on gas. Fill out the "Leave a Comment" area at the bottom of the article to blog your thoughts!

"[Wayne] Gerdes, who is 46 and lives in Wadsworth, Illinois, lets his speed pitch and yaw with the terrain, slowing on the uphill climbs and speeding up on the way down. He avoids the brake pedal like most people avoid plutonium, peering three to six blocks ahead to time lights and anticipate traffic hazards so he can avoid unnecessary stops.

If he figures the conditions are just right, Gerdes might shut the engine down and coast. And he'll tell you, if you want to know, that the tires are pumped to a drum-tight 60 pounds per square inch — about twice the recommended limit on the typical passenger car.

The results can be impressive, particularly in a summer that has seen gas prices climb above $4 a gallon. Gerdes says he averaged 37 miles per gallon on a vehicle the federal Environmental Protection Agency expects to average 17 mpg.

Gerdes attributes the bulk of the oversized mileage gains to simple common sense and the application of a little patience. But the American Automobile Association (AAA) and some police agencies say they fear a few drivers may be taking things too far.

No traffic accidents have been attributed directly to hypermiling practices, AAA spokeswoman Christie Hyde concedes. But anonymous bloggers on hypermiling Web sites have posted advice she labels "obviously dangerous and illegal," including rolling through stoplights and stop signs to avoid complete stops.

AAA has no problem with the hypermilers' principal maxim — to slow down and follow the speed limit. But Hyde says AAA's safety experts and product consultants believe that any form of coasting with the engine disengaged can diminish the driver's control, as can tires inflated beyond the range recommended for a vehicle.

"The problem is, as with any habit, people can go to extremes, and in an effort to save fuel, people have taken it to extremes," she says. "It can be dangerous to themselves and to other vehicles on the road."

Sefton, a 23-year-old computer engineering student at the University of Manitoba, says the mpg game can be addictive. Even his roommate, who spins around town in a sporty Mazda MX6, has caught the fever.

"Before he was telling me how he did burnouts," Sefton says. "Now he tells me about how somebody screwed up his glides, or how he got two miles from a single glide, or whatever. And I see that a lot of people are slowing down on the highway."

LifeWire provides original and syndicated content to web publishers. Hoselton is taken parts of this article to demonstrate the "Hyper Miler" fever but also show some of the risks. For the full article, click here:
http://climate.weather.com/articles/hypermiling091501.html?page=1

Here's an article found on www.greenrightnow.com creating a link between higher gas prices and lower traffic fatalities...

"According to researchers at the University of Alabama in Birmingham ( UAB ) when people curb their driving, both by slowing down and driving less, traffic fatalities decline as well.

After studying driving fatalities and gas prices dating back to the 1985, these health policy experts are predicting that the current gas prices of $4 a gallon (or more), if sustained for at least a year, could bring a drop in traffic fatalities of more than 1,000 a month nationwide.

'For every 10 percent rise in gas prices, fatalities are reduced by 2.3 percent.'"

Source: http://www.greenrightnow.com/2008/07/14/gas-crisis-saving-lives-say-public-health-researchers/

Why Drill for Fuel When You Can Grow It?
For the last eight years, Chevy has been producing vehicles capable of running on a fuel that grows primarily from the good earth and remembers its roots. That fuel is E85 ethanol. E85 is a mostly renewable fuel source made from U.S.-grown biomaterial, such as corn and other grain products. It's a fuel that can help decrease our dependence on petroleum and burns cleaner than gasoline.

E85 fuel generally has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which can result in slightly higher horsepower and torque levels. Chevy has over 2 million E85 FlexFuel vehicles on the road today. Contact Hoselton Chevrolet at 585-586-7373 for more information on vehicles available in this area that are E85 ready.

Prices are generally much lower than regular gasoline. Availability of E85 ethanol varies by state. That's why GM has been instrumental in bringing an additional 250 E85 pumps across the nation. But don't worry if there isn't an E85 station near you. These FlexFuel vehicles can run on either gasoline or E85 or a combination of both.

For a list of E85 equipped gas stations near you visit:
http://www.e85refueling.com. Just enter your zip code and click GO.

HOSELTON30MPG.COM!
One sure fire way to save money on gas is to upgrade to a more fuel efficient vehicle. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $1,020 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $4.08). That's $5,100 extra in fuel costs over five years!*

Visit Hoselton30mpg.com to see and compare 18 models, over 150 new vehicles, that get over 30 mpg! Or view our online inventory of over 40 pre-owned fuel efficient vehicles.

GREAT GADGET! Use the Fuel Calculator to see how much you can save in gas per month, per year, and over your total ownership of the vehicle!

GREAT LINK!

Having trouble finding the cheapest gas prices in Rochester? RochesterGasPrices.com offers up-to-date pricing from all over the city. You too can help everyone save money on gas by posting prices online.

Other features include: Map of Gas Station Locations, Fuel Saving Tips, National Pricing & Averages, Historic Price Charts, and Optional Text Messages or Emails on Current Pricing.