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Hypermiling-taking fuel economy to the next level
A MONEY-SAVING motorist is hoping his obsession with fuel economy can start a new craze to save British drivers a fortune at the petrol pumps.
A MONEY-SAVING motorist is hoping his obsession with fuel economy can start a new craze to save British drivers a fortune at the petrol pumps.IT worker Karl Dyson, from Stamford, has discovered a growing trend in the United States called hypermiling – the art of getting the best possible value out of the smallest amount of fuel.
The 27-year-old admits to being something of a fanatic about motoring on the cheap, and he hopes his new website – www.hypermiler.co.uk – will help the phenomenon take hold over here.
"Hypermiling is taking fuel economy to the next level by using the kind of driving techniques that most people wouldn't necessarily know about," said Karl, who works for Market Deeping software firm NetSupport.
"It is only a hobby website I have been doing for a few months but it is starting to get an awful lot of interest.
"Because of the credit crunch, there are a lot of people out there who have better things to spend their money on than fuel.
"If I can bring hypermiling to the UK it's going to make a difference to a lot of people's wallets, and ultimately the environment too."
Karl found out about hypermiling from websites based in the United States, and its cost-cutting ethos struck a chord with his own spendthrift ways.
By adopting some of the techniques, he improved the fuel economy of his 10-year-old Peugeot 306 from about 42mpg to 59mpg and saves about 400 on diesel a year.
His own website is packed with advice about how to make a tank of fuel go further.
But while some of his tips are simple and perfectly safe – such as regularly checking tyre pressure, keeping windows closed to reduce drag and not using air conditioning – others are rather more dangerous.
He refuses to condone "more advanced" techniques such as Forced Auto Stop, which involves turning your engine off while driving, and Coast and Burn, which involves taking your foot off the throttle while approaching junctions rather than using the brakes.
Karl, who lives in Charlock Drive, Stamford, with his fiance Tina Simmons and their one-year-old son, Kian, is happy to admit he is obsessive when it comes to saving cash.
But he says the benefits of hypermiling are usually enough to win over the doubters.
He said: "A lot of people say it's sad, but when I tell them I save enough money every year to pay for my road tax and insurance, they usually become a bit more interested."
Tina (32) added: "I know it's a bit different and he keeps a tight hold on the purse strings but he's doing it for us and I love him for that."
Police have warned drivers not to attempt any of the more dangerous techniques detailed on Karl's hypermiling website.
A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: "We would discourage any driving behaviour that may endanger the driver and other road users."
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