| Buying a hybrid car is more than a calculated | | | | smart to speed up just a little when you find |
| decision to save fuel. It is a statement | | | | yourself in anything other than the "slow" |
| about "saving the planet". | | | | lane. |
| | | | |
| Even if the chances are pretty slim that | | | | All bets are off when they let you use the |
| hybrid technology will actually make much | | | | carpool lane. |
| difference, it gives hybrid owners the right | | | | |
| to feel superior. After all, they care about | | | | 3. You Just Won't Inch Forward Will You! |
| the planet. And the rest of the world | | | | |
| obviously doesn't. | | | | Everybody else in the world knows that you |
| | | | must "inch" forward during stop and go |
| But if you're one of those hybrid owners | | | | traffic. How else are you going to keep up |
| you'd better be ready to lose some friends. | | | | with the driver in front. Besides, if you |
| Here's why... | | | | leave more than about a 15' gap between you |
| | | | and the guy ahead somebody's going to jump |
| 1. You're Driving Way Too Slow | | | | into the gap and slow you down even more. |
| | | | |
| In theory at least, hybrid owners are the | | | | Hybrid drivers have been told this "inching |
| antithesis of those guys who just ache to get | | | | forward" stuff is pointless and wastes fuel. |
| in that passing lane and leave the rest of us | | | | And the way they build hybrids these days |
| behind. You know the type...you're minding | | | | they've got a point. When you take your foot |
| your own business coming out onto the | | | | off the brake pedal the auto-stop turns off |
| expressway and the otherwise ordinary guy in | | | | and the gasoline engine restarts -- like one |
| the vehicle behind you swings out and passes | | | | of those gasoline engine golf carts. And |
| even before you've hit the highway. | | | | there goes most of your gas savings. All |
| | | | those stops and starts just eat up the gas. |
| Hybrid owners seem to do just the opposite. | | | | |
| You've known for years that driving slow | | | | But don't expect your mono-drive cousins to |
| saves fuel. So you're likely to be driving | | | | understand. They've only got one thing in |
| under the speed limit rather than over like | | | | mind: to get wherever they're going just as |
| the rest of the world. | | | | fast as possible. And everybody knows that |
| | | | racing up behind the guy in front is the only |
| The fact that you're driving a hybrid just | | | | way to make that happen. |
| makes it worse, since you know that all the | | | | |
| potential savings are squandered if you try | | | | 4. Do you really think you should be drafting |
| to go fast. | | | | me like that? |
| | | | |
| Especially when you're accelerating. That guy | | | | The responsible hybrid owner will make use of |
| in the high powered vehicle who pulls out and | | | | every advantage to save gas. And drafting |
| passes... the thought of saving gas has never | | | | larger vehicles is one technique that the |
| crossed his mind. But hydrid owners know | | | | more aggressive will try. That's where you |
| better. For you it's a moral duty to save | | | | pull right up behind a semi, a van, or an SUV |
| fuel. The fate of the planet depends on it. | | | | and try to stay in the pocket of air they are |
| So there's no way you're going to try any of | | | | pulling along behind them. |
| that fast acceleration stuff. | | | | |
| | | | I remember doing this with an old '65 Beetle |
| 2. What's with the Pulse and Glide Stuff | | | | a few years back. We were travelling along |
| | | | the New York Thruway drafting semis. We were |
| You've been told that "pulse and glide" can | | | | making great time and saving lots of gas... |
| make a serious difference to your gas milage. | | | | until we blew a rod. |
| That's where you accelerate (conservatively) | | | | |
| to the speed limit, and then let the car | | | | Of course, sticking on someone?s bumper will |
| "glide" to 10 or more miles per hour below | | | | not endear you to too many of your fellow |
| the speed limit. Repeat this procedure. | | | | drivers. And as I discovered, it's a bit |
| Repeat this procedure. Repeat this | | | | dangerous too. You'll find yourself going |
| procedure... | | | | quite a bit faster than you otherwise would |
| | | | go. And whipping along in that back-draft |
| I once had a friend who drove like this. I | | | | does not do a lot for your stability. |
| thought he was dozing off between pulses, but | | | | |
| now I know differently. He was actually doing | | | | Just try to remember, when you're out there |
| the environmentally responsible thing. | | | | on the highway trying to save the planet, the |
| | | | rest of the world could care less about your |
| My friend's driving habits aside, this | | | | morally superiour driving habits. All they |
| practice is not going to endear you to all | | | | want to do is get where they're going as fast |
| the rest of the drivers who can't figure out | | | | as they can. |
| why you keep slowing down. It's probably | | | | |