Hybrid Car Gasoline-Saving Tips

1. Slow down: Wind resistance increases drastically at higher speeds—the resistance at 75 mph is almost twice as strong as the resistance at 55 mph. If you avoid high speeds, you’ll save gas.
2. Coast when possible: Use whatever help the road gives you. If you’re on a downhill slope, ease up on the gas and let the slope of the road take you forward.
3. Combine trips: Rather than run separate errands at different times during the day, run them all at once. Combining trips saves fuel by reducing the number of miles driven. An additional benefit to combining trips is that hybrid cars burn less fuel when driven warm, so a single trip of 20 miles is more efficient than two trips of 10 miles each.
4. Anticipate stops: If there’s a red light up ahead, take your foot off the gas pedal and allow yourself to coast to the light. In a full hybrid, you’ll coast on electric power only and won’t burn gasoline as you approach the light.
5. Accelerate slowly: Slow, steady acceleration is much more fuel-efficient than “gunning” the engine, which wastes gasoline and emits excessive pollution. Starting slowly is especially beneficial in full hybrids, which begin to accelerate solely on the strength of their electric motors.
6. Give yourself room: Maintain plenty of space between you and the car in front of you. This space will allow you to conserve energy by coasting—not braking—to a slower speed if traffic slows.
7. Limit use of the air conditioner and defroster: Both the air conditioner and defroster reduce gas mileage. Use them only when absolutely necessary, and especially avoid using them when climbing large hills.
8. Maintain correct tire pressure: Low tire pressure reduces your gas mileage, so check tire pressure regularly and fill your tires when necessary. (For more on checking tire pressure and filling tires, see the Quamut guide to Car Care & Roadside Emergencies, available in Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.quamut.com.)
9. Use cruise control: Using cruise control on relatively flat, long trips can increase gas mileage significantly. But avoid using cruise control on hilly or mountainous roads, where it actually wastes gasoline.
10. Keep your car well maintained: Cars that are well maintained with annual or biannual tune-ups will perform more efficiently and get better gas mileage.