Who doesn’t love saving some cash and fuel? In the spirit of savings, we’re going to cover some nice fuel economy tips for the Kia Optima Hybrid from Guinness World Record “hypermiler” Wayne Gerdes. You might remember Wayne from previous Kia-Buzz posts which covered his world record setting drive in an Optima Hybrid across the 48 adjoining U.S. states. This earned him the lowest fuel consumption record by averaging 65.55 mpg over 14 days. That’s what we call hypermiling or using special driving techniques to maximize your fuel economy.
Checkout Wayne’s video below on fuel economy driving tips with the Kia Optima Hybrid and you might set a hypermiling record of your own.
“Hey Kia-Buzz! What about us non-Optima hybrid folks?” Don’t sweat; we got you covered. Just lookout for tips marked with an asterisk* in the recap list below and checkout our ‘Non-Hybrid Tips’ section that can be applied to any make and model.
Here’s a recap of key tips from the video according to Wayne:
1) The Long Glide : When approaching a stop or toll on a decline, coast as far as you can in EV mode and with the engine off.
2) Maintaining EV during Acceleration from Stop : Maximize EV drive by gently pressing the acceleration pedal.
3) Regenerative Braking : During deceleration, the motor acts as a generator to absorb braking energy. Do not shift to “N” or Sports (Manual Selection) mode during deceleration.
4) Regenerative Braking with Max A/C Use : On long steep downhill descents, turn on A/C to maximum to cool the cabin during high SOC (State of Charge) so that you don’t have to use A/C and consume unnecessary fuel later on.
5) Smart Active Air Flap : The flap closes automatically while driving to reduce air resistance by up to 4.2%, which results in improving overall fuel economy by an average of 1.8%.
6) *Merging for Fuel Efficiency* : Don’t use the brake or accelerator when merging lanes. Allow other vehicles to merge in front of you.
7) *Driving with Load*: When driving over a slight incline followed by a decline (like an overpass), keep the accelerator at a steady position so that the engine thinks it is driving on a flat surface.
8) *Smart Braking* : Coast into (don’t race up to) a stoplight and in many cases you won’t need to stop before the light turns green.
9) *Face Out Parking* : Whenever possible, pull into a parking spot with the front of the car facing out so that you don’t have to back out later.
These are useful tips indeed, especially for some of us who aren’t familiar with maximizing our fuel economy with hybrids. But thankfully we got Wayne to show us the way.
Non-Hybrid Tips
For those of you not driving hybrids, there are still ways to save by following tips from our previous blog on “How to Save Money with Car Maintenance” and “New Habits to Cut the Cost of Driving”. Following these simple tips will definitely help you save some cash in the long run.
Apart from those, we still have more tips below to share. Isn’t it fun learning about the wonderful world of fuel economy?
1) Don’t idle
Consider shutting down your vehicle’s engine if stopped in traffic for a lengthy period. A modern, fuel-injected engine consumes less than seven seconds worth of fuel on restart.
2) Cut down on gadgets
Running mechanical and electrical accessories decreases fuel economy. Roof racks and trailers spoil the aerodynamics. Operating the air-conditioner on its maximum setting can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%.
3) Plan your trip
Frequent short trips and cold weather can really affect fuel economy. Don’t leave your engine running to warm up before setting off. Drive to your furthest destination first and then stop at the closer destinations on your way back. This will ensure the car is warmed up for longer portions of your drive.
These tips are great, but being safe and comfortable is better, so adapt these changes slowly and use the ones that work best for your style of driving.
Tell us what you think
Do you have any personal tips on being fuel efficient or know a great online source to share? Leave us comments or links below!
Courtesy of Kia Buzz
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