How to Use Hybrid Cars Efficiently
Limit your driving., Develop good driving habits., Drive in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes., Keep your speed low., Try different acceleration techniques., Use cruise control.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Limit your driving.
The best way to use your hybrid car efficiently is to not use it at all.
Walk or bike to your destinations when possible.
You could also use public transport, such as buses, trains, and subways.
Alternately, grab a ride with a friend and carpool to your destinations. -
Step 2: Develop good driving habits.
Most hybrid drivers say that to maximize their hybrid’s possibilities for efficiency, they must re-learn how to drive.While things like watching their speedometer and using cruise control are not foreign to the experience of driving a regular car, they become crucial aspects of driving a hybrid.
Keep an eye on the dashboard fuel economy display, if present.This display will give you a real-time update about your fuel efficiency.
Incorporate driving styles that are fuel-efficient into your regular driving behavior.
Use your brakes.
Hybrids employ a technology known as regenerative braking.
This means that the energy produced by the brakes
-- wasted as heat in normal cars
-- is used to recharge the battery of your hybrid.Apply gentle, even pressure to the brakes and gently glide to a stop.
Don’t brake too soon.
Give yourself enough distance and space to effectively brake. , HOV lanes are designed to reduce traffic during rush hour and peak travel times by vehicles with two or more people.
Certain states also allow hybrid cars to make use of HOV lanes even if they contain only one passenger.
California, for instance, permits hybrid car drivers to use the HOV lane if they have a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker and their car is on the approved list.
See http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm for more information.
Virginia offers a similar program.Check their list of approved hybrid vehicles at http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#cleanspecialfuel.asp to discover whether your hybrid can be used in HOV lanes.
However, you will not be able to drive the car in HOV lanes on I-95 or I-494 with less than three passengers. , Your hybrid car’s fuel efficiency will decline when you drive over 55 miles per hour.
If you drive with the cruise control set to 70 miles per hour or more, turn it off, especially on an incline.
Try to aim for a top highway speed of around 60 miles per hour.Don’t be afraid to ride in the slow lane.
Let other cars pass you.
Use moderate acceleration.Accelerating too quickly will cause both the gas and electric engines to operate in tandem.
When heading up a hill, Try find that Goldilocks zone with your hybrid car
-- an acceleration level that is neither too slow nor too fast.
Drifting in either direction will cause your mileage and fuel efficiency to decline. , Monitor fuel efficiency while you use each.
For instance, try accelerating slowly for a few weeks, then try accelerating a bit faster, and then try accelerating more quickly.
Compare the mileage results of the different techniques and adopt the most fuel-efficient one.
After reaching your desired speed, coast as long as possible until you need to stop or turn.
Be mindful of how you start your vehicle at stoplights.
Your hybrid is programmed to turn off the engine when in park or when you’re not moving.It will turn on again when you resume motion.
Use your foot to gently apply pressure to the gas pedal to start the car in motion. , With the cruise control on, you’re less likely to rev the engine and accelerate quickly, which can cause the gas engine to kick in to provide the extra push that rapid acceleration requires.
Lay off the gas and set your cruise control to your desired speed whether you’re on the highway or on a street.If you don’t have cruise control, try to keep your speed constant.
Not only does accelerating your vehicle use energy, slowing it wastes your energy as well.
A constant speed is the most energy-efficient for your vehicle. -
Step 3: Drive in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
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Step 4: Keep your speed low.
-
Step 5: Try different acceleration techniques.
-
Step 6: Use cruise control.
Detailed Guide
The best way to use your hybrid car efficiently is to not use it at all.
Walk or bike to your destinations when possible.
You could also use public transport, such as buses, trains, and subways.
Alternately, grab a ride with a friend and carpool to your destinations.
Most hybrid drivers say that to maximize their hybrid’s possibilities for efficiency, they must re-learn how to drive.While things like watching their speedometer and using cruise control are not foreign to the experience of driving a regular car, they become crucial aspects of driving a hybrid.
Keep an eye on the dashboard fuel economy display, if present.This display will give you a real-time update about your fuel efficiency.
Incorporate driving styles that are fuel-efficient into your regular driving behavior.
Use your brakes.
Hybrids employ a technology known as regenerative braking.
This means that the energy produced by the brakes
-- wasted as heat in normal cars
-- is used to recharge the battery of your hybrid.Apply gentle, even pressure to the brakes and gently glide to a stop.
Don’t brake too soon.
Give yourself enough distance and space to effectively brake. , HOV lanes are designed to reduce traffic during rush hour and peak travel times by vehicles with two or more people.
Certain states also allow hybrid cars to make use of HOV lanes even if they contain only one passenger.
California, for instance, permits hybrid car drivers to use the HOV lane if they have a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker and their car is on the approved list.
See http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm for more information.
Virginia offers a similar program.Check their list of approved hybrid vehicles at http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#cleanspecialfuel.asp to discover whether your hybrid can be used in HOV lanes.
However, you will not be able to drive the car in HOV lanes on I-95 or I-494 with less than three passengers. , Your hybrid car’s fuel efficiency will decline when you drive over 55 miles per hour.
If you drive with the cruise control set to 70 miles per hour or more, turn it off, especially on an incline.
Try to aim for a top highway speed of around 60 miles per hour.Don’t be afraid to ride in the slow lane.
Let other cars pass you.
Use moderate acceleration.Accelerating too quickly will cause both the gas and electric engines to operate in tandem.
When heading up a hill, Try find that Goldilocks zone with your hybrid car
-- an acceleration level that is neither too slow nor too fast.
Drifting in either direction will cause your mileage and fuel efficiency to decline. , Monitor fuel efficiency while you use each.
For instance, try accelerating slowly for a few weeks, then try accelerating a bit faster, and then try accelerating more quickly.
Compare the mileage results of the different techniques and adopt the most fuel-efficient one.
After reaching your desired speed, coast as long as possible until you need to stop or turn.
Be mindful of how you start your vehicle at stoplights.
Your hybrid is programmed to turn off the engine when in park or when you’re not moving.It will turn on again when you resume motion.
Use your foot to gently apply pressure to the gas pedal to start the car in motion. , With the cruise control on, you’re less likely to rev the engine and accelerate quickly, which can cause the gas engine to kick in to provide the extra push that rapid acceleration requires.
Lay off the gas and set your cruise control to your desired speed whether you’re on the highway or on a street.If you don’t have cruise control, try to keep your speed constant.
Not only does accelerating your vehicle use energy, slowing it wastes your energy as well.
A constant speed is the most energy-efficient for your vehicle.
About the Author
Jean Cooper
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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