Autoblog

Hypermiling Hyundai Sonata Hybrid crosses America in under two tanks [w/video] *UPDATE

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Videos, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Cross Country Blue Drive - Click above for image gallery

You've got to hand it to Wayne Gerdes. He knows how to go the distance in production passenger cars on very little gasoline. In April of 2009, he worked with a team to go 1,445 miles in a Ford Fusion Hybrid on a single tank of gas*. In June of 2010, he went 1,065 miles in a non-hybrid 2011 Hyundai Sonata. His most recent trip was in a Sonata Hybrid, which he drove 2,269.3 miles from San Diego, CA to Jekyll Island, GA on less than two tanks of fuel - a claimed average of 59.58 miles per gallon.

That's mighty impressive, but for those of us who have been following Gerdes' recent hypermiling drives, the obvious question is, why was he able to get 66.285 mpg in the regular, gas-powered non-turbo Sonata when the hybrid "only" got 59.59 mpg? (and Fusion Hybrid managed 81.5 mpg.) In part, this can be explained because the trip in the regular Sonata took place in the summer from Chicago to New York, while the hybrid ride was a winter time trek through the mountains - and it was over twice the distance.

In any case, Gerdes has once again showed that it's quite possible to handily beat the fuel efficiency ratings on a car's window sticker. In this case, the EPA thinks you will get 40 mpg on the highway, but clearly a lot is left on the table for those whose sole goal is to eke out every last drop of gas.

Just as importantly, we're not sure if Gerdes and his compatriots employed some of the more radical and dangerous hypermiling staples (drafting semi trucks for lower drag, etc.), but we've got a call in to Wayne to learn more about his techniques. In any case, a short video of the Sonata's mpg display after the first tank is available after the jump.

*UPDATE: Autoblog has been reminded by a reader that in contrast to the Sonata Hybrid's transcontinental drive over the mountains in the winter, Gerdes' 1,445-mile run in the Ford Fusion Hybrid was conducted in spring at a lower average speed,and the vehicle was essentially driven in a large circle for more than 69 straight hours, beginning in Mount Vernon, Va and finishing in Washington D.C. In short, none of these drives or their resultant fuel economy findings are true apples-to-apples comparisons, and in order to draw a conclusion about which hybrid achieves the best mileage, these vehicles will need to be tested side-by-side under identical conditions. As always, your mileage may vary.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue Drive

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hypermiling Hyundai Sonata Hybrid crosses America in under two tanks [w/video] *UPDATE

Hypermiling Hyundai Sonata Hybrid crosses America in under two tanks [w/video] *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German gets Porsche 911 Carrera up to 35.1 mpg

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Green, Porsche

Click above for image gallery of Porsche's 35-mpg trip

Proving once again that the way you drive is just as important as what you drive, ex-racer and German TV presenter Klaus Niedzwiedz has managed to average just over 35 miles per gallon (U.S.) in a brand-spanking new Porsche 911 Carrera. The route taken covered 400 miles of urban streets, country roads and a large chunk of Germany's famous autobahn. Niedzwiedz wasn't holding up traffic either, averaging 52 miles per hour for the trip and keeping his engine speeds between 1,800 and 2,000 RPM. So, while the latest 911 with its 345 horsepower, direct-injected flat-six powerplant and seven-speed PDK gearbox is an excellent performance machine, it's also an economy car. Sort of. Fine, it's not an economy car at all, but its EPA fuel mileage rating of 19 city and 27 highway is mighty impressive and proves that modern sportscars, including Chevy's latest Corvette, which is also capable of extremely miserly fuel consumption, are better than their predecessors in every meaningful way.

Gallery: 2009 Porsche 911 gets 35.1 mpg

[Source: Porsche via AutoBlogGreen]

Continue reading German gets Porsche 911 Carrera up to 35.1 mpg

German gets Porsche 911 Carrera up to 35.1 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Word of the Year: "Hypermiling"

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Lifestyle

As 2008 officially draws to a close, the time has come for all of us to look back and remember what defined our lives for the last twelve months. For most Americans, and in fact the entire globe, fuel prices were very much responsible for how we lived our lives. That's why it's not at all surprising that Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2008 is "hypermiling."

For those outside the green movement, hypermiling is defined by the word-meisters of Oxford this way: "Hypermiling" or "to hypermile" is to attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one's car and one's driving techniques. Rather than aiming for good mileage or even great mileage, hypermilers seek to push their gas tanks to the limit and achieve hypermileage, exceeding EPA ratings for miles per gallon.

So, there you have it. How long 'till hyper is replaced by wondermileage or excessivemileage? Thanks for the tip, Rebecca!

[Source: Oxford University Press Blog]

Word of the Year: "Hypermiling" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blue 1989 Geo Metro has been "green" since 1993

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Green

Click above for more pics of the Dough Heffron's 75 mpg "tandem" Metro

Like a number of other folks who didn't get much attention at the time, Doug Heffron was worried about gas mileage and pump costs way back in 1993. That was back when this particular blogger had a VW Jetta that could be filled to the tippy top for $11, and having to spend $13 was considered criminal banditry. But Doug wasn't happy with merely cheap fill-ups and 56 mpg in his Geo Metro Xfi. So he turned it into the car you see above.

That meant installing tandem seating on the left side, fairing the wheels, changing the gearing, and chopping off the right side and replacing it with, well, nothing but a wing. Once finished, the car got 75 pg. All that work might sound like a lot for an extra 19 mph, but one should expect a bit of aero tweaking and math to squeeze a 34-percent gain in fuel economy from an already frugal econobox.

The car was driven for two years in all four New England seasons, and then gas prices went down and it was put away in a barn. In 2006, however, the barn doors opened again, but Doug hasn't said what he plans to do with the car. We're not saying that everyone should drive this type of... thing, but if a guy in his garage can crank out something like this, then... come on Chevy Volt! Thanks for the tip, Ted!

Gallery: 1989 Geo Metro XFi "tandem"

[Source: Doug Heffron via Cars You Like]

Blue 1989 Geo Metro has been "green" since 1993 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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