How to hypermill a car
Some modern cars feature technology that sees the engine reduce to idle as soon as the throttle is lifted, boosting efficiency in a safe, controlled manner and rendering coasting unnecessary anyway.Īnother controversial hypermiling technique is drafting, or slipstreaming other traffic.
HOW TO HYPERMILL A CAR DRIVER
No driver should engage in this kind of coasting. They would maintain a speed of 19-23mph, and followed racing lines that offered the path of least resistance as they went round the circuit.
HOW TO HYPERMILL A CAR DRIVERS
The cars would end up being run for more than 24 hours, with a total of six drivers taking it in turns. As such, one car was totally standard, while the other’s only modifications were the Enso tyres it had been fitted with, and both cars’ tyre pressures were unchanged from recommended levels. To make the task even harder, Mission Motorsport decided it wanted to keep its Zoes totally standard – the cars were brought straight out of the dealership and to the track, with nothing removed or streamlined. The French record had been set at a higher ambient temperature than the UK typically sees, and while Desjardins had to counter traffic, he was also able to slipstream lorries to help reduce wind resistance. Mission Motorsport’s Zoes had an improved range over the car used to set the record in France, but the endeavour wasn’t without disadvantages. Mission Motorsport decided it would be fantastic if the record could be brought to the UK, so the team picked Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, where Mission Motorsport was originally launched, as the location for their attempt.įirst, it was necessary to get some Renault Zoes, and dealer group Hendy was happy to supply two brand-new 52kWh cars, with an official range of 245 miles. This meant the hypermiling record for the Zoe had been setĪt 7.9 miles per kilowatt hour. Frenchman Pierre Desjardins managed to cover 351 miles on a single charge in a 40kWh Renault Zoe, which had an official WLTP range of just 186 miles. The idea came about after charity founder and CEO James Cameron and his team became aware of a record set in 2018 on the Paris ‘Périphérique’ ring road. So when the team at armed-forces charity Mission Motorsport said they were going to break the Renault Zoe EV hypermiling record, it would take a brave person to bet against them. Their training is unparalleled, their resolve unbreakable and the sacrifices they make unequalled. The British armed forces represent the best of our country. When Mission Motorsport set an electric car range world record This means a hypermiler is more likely to be concentrating on the road ahead than the average road user, and should be less erratic, too. Smooth inputs of the throttle and steering are used, while Driving Without Brakes (DWB) is a popular mantra with hypermilers, as they try and drive for as long as possible without touching the middle pedal. Keeping speeds down boosts fuel economy considerably, although it's probably best to maintain a reasonable speed so as to not antagonise fellow road users. On the move, hypermilers will drive slowly and steadily, and will use anticipation to plan their manoeuvres in advance, rather than reacting to what happens directly ahead of the car.
HOW TO HYPERMILL A CAR FULL
Usually this involves parking 'face out' so they are moving forwards immediately, while some will park on downward slopes so that they can 'coast' away using as little fuel as possible, although coasting is not recommended because you are not in full control of a vehicle that's coasting. Some hypermilers will park in optimum positions so that they don't waste fuel with unnecessary manoeuvres out of parking spaces. And if it's warm, they'll park in the shade so that the car's air conditioning doesn't have to work too hard to bring the cabin temperature down. If it's cold, then they will park their car in the direction of the sun so that the sun melts a frosted windscreen, rather than turning on their heated screen. When parked, a hypermiler will try and use their location to their advantage. Any unused items in the boot will also be removed to save weight and thus improve fuel economy. This means it will be well maintained and serviced regularly, while the tyres will be inflated to the correct pressure to ensure rolling resistance is at its most efficient. A hypermiling car will be optimised to deliver the most efficiency, too.