Kevin Booker fell into hypermiling. Or perhaps he coasted gently downhill into it, hypermiling being the art of driving in a way to maximise fuel efficiency. Anyway, he’s an accidental hypermiler; it started as something to relieve the boredom of the daily 70-mile commute, from Swansea to Brecon, where he works for National Parks. “It was almost a way to gamify it, to get the fuel I was using to go further,” the 44-year-old tells me. “I was learning the techniques to get the most out of that gallon.” We’ll come to the techniques.
It was a useful game. “The bonus was I was saving money. Over a month, I could save up to £50 without really increasing my journey time.” This was back in 2003, when a litre of petrol or diesel (Booker drove a diesel Vauxhall Corsa in those days) cost less than a pound.
You know what’s happened to fuel prices since, and recently they have put their right foot to the floor to go up the steepest of hills. Even with Rishi Sunak’s 5p duty cut last week, you’re still looking at about £1.60 for unleaded and more than £1.70 for diesel. I had my first £80 forecourt shock the other day. Used Skoda Fabia, since you ask – I know, nice wheels, right?
But back to Booker’s own hypermiling journey: after finding out he was good at it, Booker came across an advert in a car magazine for an event called the MPG Marathon, a test of fuel economy under on-road conditions. With his wife Terri’s encouragement, he entered. “It was around rural Essex, they give you a time you have to complete the course in, so you’re not going too slow and causing obstructions. They don’t want you going down the motorway at 25mph.”
Driving a diesel Honda Civic (“In those days you could get 100 miles to the gallon from a carefully driven diesel”), he came second, but would later team up with the man (hypermilers tend to be men) who beat him and they would go on to break records together.
Booker got the bug, big time. He became a regular at the MPG Marathon, and through that, another event called the Layer Marney Cup, also in Essex. “These things seem to take place in Essex, I don’t know what it is about the county.” Not too many hills maybe. He’s won the Layer Marney Cup a couple of times.
Did it become a kind of obsession? “Most cars have a range meter now, telling you how many miles you have left. You do find you try to go further than the car thinks it can go on the fuel you’ve got.” I recognise that, I do it, try to beat the range meter. Whereas once it might have been trying to get there before the satnav says you’re going to, now it’s about using less fuel. In the competitive – and again, almost certainly male – numbers game, range is the new speed.
Anyway, with soaring costs, what was quite niche – a few range enthusiasts such as Booker driving slowly and smoothly around Essex – has gone mainstream. And it’s not just better for the pocket but also the planet; maybe not quite win-win, but at least lose-less. Everyone should be a hypermiler now. So, come on Booker, let’s be having your tips.
Look ahead
This is his big one. “Read the road ahead for traffic lights and roundabouts, so you always keep moving. If there’s a green light a fair distance off, there’s a high probability it will be red by the time you get to it. It’s all about pacing, so you get there when it’s green. With roundabouts, feed into them rather than stop.” Booker is not a fan of stopping.
Light feet
No harsh accelerating or braking. “In a conventional fuelled car, every time you use the brakes you are wasting that energy. Hybrids and EVs have regenerative braking – 70% of the energy goes back into the battery, so it’s not so much of an issue.” Otherwise the techniques for hypermiling in an EV are the same, keep it all smooth and flowing.
Slow down
It won’t make much difference to your journey time – but driving as slowly as is reasonable, and in the highest possible gear without labouring your engine – will be cheaper. And change up earlier: “Don’t hold the gears in high revs, it’s about getting a feel for the right time to change.” On the motorway, keep with the flow of the traffic. Don’t indulge that inner racer. Booker says he’s a calm driver. “I’m not one of those people who gets worked up and is overtaking like mad. I’m not a road-rage person.”
Keep in good shape
The car that is, with regular servicing. Booker could tell when they put the wrong grade oil in his Toyota Aygo once, “just by the feel of it”. I think that’s quite advanced hypermiling, but you can check your tyre pressures, and make sure they’re in good condition. Cheap tyres can be a false economy.
Lose weight
“You find people driving around with a boot full of junk. Reduce the weight of your car by getting rid of things you don’t need.” Booker didn’t include children in this. Reduce drag too – lose the roof box when you’re not using it. At motorway speeds, open windows create drag, so it’s better to have the windows closed and the aircon on.
Downsize
SUVs don’t make for good hypermilers. “Manufacturers are guilty of pushing people towards big SUVs. Do you actually need one? A saloon or an estate is more efficient because it is a more aerodynamic shape.”
Plug in, turn on, luck out
Go electric, in other words. Terri did, swapping to a Renault Zoe, in 2015. Booker followed, in her slipstream (not too close, that’s dangerous). He now drives a Hyundai Ioniq. Electricity prices are skyrocketing too of course, but as well as being cleaner and greener, EVs are still cheaper to run. You’ll notice EV drivers looking especially smug at the moment. Booker has worked out the electricity for his round trip to work now costs 97p.
And if you’re anxious about EV range, get this: last year, Booker, with a couple of his hypermiler pals, drove an electric car from John o’Groats to Land’s End with just one recharging stop. He’s in the Guinness World Records for it. That’s seriously impressive, an elite hypermiler hypermiling at the very top of his game; the average driver won’t get that.
We did want to get an electric car, but they were too expensive and we don’t have off-street parking to charge it. Hence the Fabia. But from now on, with Kevin’s tips, it’s only going to be hypermiling. It’s either that or the Megabus.
