When it comes to light vehicle technology, CleanMPG really knows what works. In fact, the folks at CleanMPG made a name for themselves by coining the phrase “hypermiling” to describe a style of energy-efficient driving.
What Hypermiling is and How it Works
Wayne Gerdes, founder of CleanMPG, explains that “hypermiling” is the practice of driving a vehicle beyond its EPA fuel economy rating. According to CNN Money, hypermiling can include:
- Using cruise control to cut down on unnecessary speed changes
- Accelerating more slowly and stopping more gradually
- Lifting your foot off the gas pedal and “coasting” whenever possible
Catching Up with Hypermiling Innovator Wayne Gerdes
Plastics Make it Possible caught up with CleanMPG at the LA Auto Show to talk about the many ways plastics help make cars lighter and more energy efficient. In the video below, CleanMPG debunks the idea that “lighter” means “flimsy” when it comes to hypermiling.
“Lightweighting is extremely important” to vehicle fuel efficiency, says Gerdes, “because if you have too much weight, you’re just paying to haul that dead weight around with your fuel. [But] with the advantages we’re making in science today, light doesn’t have to mean flimsy.”
