| Buying a hybrid car is more than a calculated | | | | responsible thing.My friend's driving habits |
| decision to save fuel. It is a statement | | | | aside, this practice is not going to endear |
| about "saving the planet".Even if the chances | | | | you to all the rest of the drivers who can't |
| are pretty slim that hybrid technology will | | | | figure out why you keep slowing down. It's |
| actually make much difference, it gives | | | | probably smart to speed up just a little when |
| hybrid owners the right to feel superior. | | | | you find yourself in anything other than the |
| After all, they care about the planet. And | | | | "slow" lane.All bets are off when they let |
| the rest of the world obviously does not.But | | | | you use the carpool lane.3. You Just Won't |
| if you're one of those hybrid owners you'd | | | | Inch Forward Will You!Everybody else in the |
| better be ready to lose some friends. Here's | | | | world knows you must "inch" forward during |
| why.1. You're Driving Way Too SlowIn theory | | | | stop and go traffic. How else are you going |
| at least, hybrid owners are the opposite of | | | | to keep up with the driver in front? Besides, |
| those guys who just ache to get in that | | | | if you leave more than about a 15' gap |
| passing lane and leave the rest of us behind. | | | | between you and the guy ahead somebody's |
| You know the type. You're minding your own | | | | going to jump into the gap and slow you down |
| business merging onto the expressway and the | | | | even more. Every quarter second counts.Hybrid |
| otherwise ordinary guy in the vehicle behind | | | | drivers have been told this "inching forward" |
| you swings out and passes even before you hit | | | | stuff is pointless and wastes fuel. And the |
| the highway.Hybrid owners tend to do just the | | | | way they build hybrids these days they've got |
| opposite. You've known for years that driving | | | | a point. When you take your foot off the |
| slow saves fuel. So you're likely to be | | | | brake pedal the auto-stop turns off and the |
| driving under the speed limit rather than | | | | gasoline engine restarts -- like one of those |
| over like the rest of the world.The fact that | | | | gasoline engine golf carts. And there goes |
| you're driving a hybrid just makes it worse, | | | | most of your gas savings. All those stops and |
| since you know that all the potential savings | | | | starts just eat up the gas.But don't expect |
| are squandered if you try to go | | | | your mono-drive cousins to understand. |
| fast.Especially when you're accelerating. | | | | They've only got one thing in mind: to get |
| That guy in the high powered vehicle who | | | | wherever they're going just as fast as |
| pulls out and passes... the thought of saving | | | | possible. And everybody knows that racing up |
| gas has never crossed his mind. But hydrid | | | | behind the guy in front is the only way to |
| owners know better. For you it's a moral duty | | | | make that happen.4. Do you really think you |
| to save fuel. The fate of the planet depends | | | | should be drafting me like that?The |
| on it. So there's no way you're going to try | | | | responsible hybrid owner will make use of |
| any of that fast acceleration stuff.2. What's | | | | every advantage to save gas. And drafting |
| with the Pulse and Glide StuffYou've also | | | | larger vehicles is one technique that the |
| been told that "pulse and glide" can make a | | | | more aggressive will try. That's where you |
| serious difference to your gas milage. That's | | | | pull right up behind a semi, a van, or an SUV |
| where you accelerate -- conservatively of | | | | and try to stay in the pocket of air they are |
| course -- to the speed limit, and then let | | | | pulling along behind them.I remember doing |
| the car "glide" to 10 or more miles per hour | | | | this with an old '65 Beetle a few years back. |
| below the speed limit. Repeat this procedure. | | | | We were travelling along the New York Thruway |
| Repeat this procedure. Repeat this | | | | drafting semis. We were making great time and |
| procedure...I once had a friend who drove | | | | saving lots of gas... until we blew a rod. |
| like this. I thought he was dozing off | | | | After a 200 mile tow behind my dad's station |
| between pulses, but now I know differently. | | | | wagon and a quick once over by my mechanic we |
| He was actually doing the environmentally | | | | sold the car for parts. |