BG drivers feel record gas price sting; Guinness record holder shares hypermiling technique

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The average price of gas hit $4.17 this Monday, breaking July 2008’s record of $4.11.

Here in South Central Kentucky, drivers are feeling the sting of these price spikes.

One Guinness World Records holder teaches us all there is to know about saving fuel.

Hypermiling is when divers maximize their fuel energy by using different techniques to get the most out every last drop of fuel.

Wayne Gerdes holds multiple Guinness World Records as a hypermiler. He shifts the art of hypermiling into a whole new gear.

“Try not to drive when you don’t have to, and when you do, you drive much more efficiently,” Gerdes advised. “Let’s say, for example, that you have to go to the grocery store today, and then you thought you might go out to dinner the next day and go to the movies the third day. Why don’t you combine them all in one and do one trip instead of three?”

He also says you should check your tire pressure frequently, stay in the right lane, get off the gas and glide as soon as you see a stop ahead. He emphasizes that if it’s possible at all, purchasing a fuel efficient vehicle is crucial to saving gas.

Most importantly, he says to abide by the speed limit instead of burning through your fuel. 

So how much does being a hypermiler actually save, though? Is it worth the roundabout steps?

“It may not exactly fit in your goal to get from one point to another the fastest,” Gerdes conceded. “But If you drive 70 mph versus 65 mph, you might gain 1 mph average speed, so 1/70 ff your time is saved, and you’re probably going to cost yourself 10 or 15 percent of your fuel… Take this historical point in time as a lesson for a lifetime.”

And, fun fact, Gerdes actually coined the term “hypermiling”. You can check out his Website, cleanmpg.com to learn more.