Hello-
A lot has been said, more negative than positive about a driving style called "hypermiling".
Hypermiling, as the name implies, is often a "hyper" active way to try and save gas... not just a little, but some drivers go to extreemes to try and DOUBLE how far they can get a car to go on a gallon. This is not realistic. Some will argue, this is not safe. Most will say, this is discourteous to fellow drivers.
I would like to coin a new term: EXTRAmiling.
The extramiler will "go the extra mile" to do what he/she can not to double that tank mileage, but to go that "extra mile or two" per gallon. ( not that extra 20 or 30! ) The "extramiler" is a more moderate form, a "pretty cousin" of the hypermiler.
The extramiler will do things such as reduce automobile idle durations, park and go in vs. use the drive thru if the car is not hybrid that shuts off anyway, drives the speed limit, not significantly over, nor under, combines trips or makes fewer short trips on a cold engine, anticipates light changes, inflates tires within reason, and makes other small changes such as not use air conditioning that are invisible to other drivers.
By definition, if others on the road can tell you are different, you are not an extramiler.
Now, if you are on a deserted farm road, and are the only car in sight, extramilers can become hypermilers for these special occasions. There's nothing wrong with that.
Cheers,
Hybrid Driver and world's first ( by definition ) extramiler.
Dated this June 22nd, 2009.
*The term and definition of "extramiler" may be used freely and posted on any other sites, provided a link is provided back to this original post.
Sure, I'll go with that. The one thing I've done that seems to have made a difference is to shut down the AC. I finally realized I live 3 miles from the Pacific (well, Long Beach). The temp. here is usually balmy, and the times I have to go inland, I can take the dry, oven-like heat.
However, with my wife in the car, all bets are off.