Hypermiling - a green sport
A new craze has taken off - competing against the car to get the highest MPG (miles-per-gallon) possible.
The aim is to maximise fuel economy against the backdrop of increasing fuel costs.
It’s said to be the automotive equivalent of skateboarding.
As a sport, it is more like golf than football - the battle is against engine inefficiency, aerodynamic drag, rolling friction through the tyres, power-to-weight ratios, and kinetic energy lost to braking.
Having started in America, this sport is spreading. As part of the American Dream, the right to drive is almost synonymous with low-cost mileage. The biggest perceived cost is the motor-car itself, a reflection of success. But a counter-cultural movement took off, aiming to double the MPG of any car, inverting the meaning of success. 
Double MPG
A variety of methods can double gas mileage, even in gas-guzzling vehicles that would normally get less than 20 mpg. It can even make fuel-sipping gas-electric hybrid cars more efficient - over 20% gain has been recorded.
The “advanced” techniques of hypermiling are in addition to well-known approaches including keeping speed down, accelerating gently, avoiding excessive idling and removing cargo racks to also cut down on aerodynamic drag. Over a hundred methods are listed on one website.
Meanwhile, Bridgestone Tyres found 93.5% of cars in Europe have under-inflated tires, wasting 2.14 billion gallons of fuel each year.
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