Think Green, Think Hypermiling: Because "How we do things" matters too

In these times we live in, we are often consumed by the pursuit of material tangibles because quite frankly the social incentives are so relentless and pervasive. Some would add that in the end, we, as well as our personal and collective goals are best described by what we seek: be it a better job, a better house, a better car, world peace, and so on.

What about the "How" component?

Sure, many folks will acknowledge that "How we do something" is very significant too, not only because it affects the quality of these goals, but also because it is has the potential of transforming us as well as the world around us.

It is on this note, that I would like to leave you with a thought and an invitation:

• As you commute to work during May 30 to June 5 (2010 Commuter Challenge), please think about how's your driving doing? If you are not sure, then how about taking the bus or carpool while benefiting our environment at the same time?
  

If telecommuting, carpooling, public transportation or riding a bike to work aren't viable options, then may we interest you in Hypermiling as an alternative?

Well, why not?

Our friends at Backbone magazine tried it and they liked the results.

Want way more kilometres out of your tank of gas?

Cheers :)

Hybrid pains and driver rehabilitiation...

Never better than 10 liters per 100 Km. Really?

A good friend of mine owns a blue 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid and at least until recently, good fuel economy was not something he could report.

As this is a rather common claim by first time hybrid owners, we figured the causal issues could be easily identified and communicated over a brief meeting at a local mall's parking lot. Well, that is usually the approach and the results soon follow. You see, Gary is a "good driver" who has been accident free for the better part of the last 10 years. For someone who drives daily on our streets , that is indeed... commendable.

He also figured, that in purchasing this car he would not only see much better fuel economy than what he usually got out of his previous 2004 non-hybrid Camry, but he would also be within reach of the numbers the community often claims this hybrid can achieve. In retrospect, I felt somewhat guilty since I am one of those community voices that frequently makes that claim.

Barely a year later after the purchase, and despite the extra $2,000 credit he received from the government, he began to wonder if the "extra" cost of going hybrid was really worth it. Unfortunately, our experience tells us that Gary is not alone in thinking this way.

Anyway, this initial meeting went well considering that he did not like everything we had to offer in terms of advice. As I had mentioned, Gary thought of himself as an "extremely good driver" and did not believe that additional changes in driving behavior applied to him. Frankly I could not help notice he was somewhat disappointed with my advice. We left the mall parking lot that evening and I did not hear from Gary until approximately two months later.

When I answered the phone, I expected Gary to unload on me his own story of disillusionment, and how hybrids are nothing more than another empty promise filled with deceitful fine print. To my surprise it did not turn out to be that way. Further adding to my relief, Gary actually sounded quite enthusiastic and boastful of his new abilities ultimately taught to him by... his daughters driving instructor???

Indeed. Gary's older daughter will be getting her driver's license soon and Gary had the good sense to register her in a professional driver instruction program. What is also very refreshing is that this driving school uses hybrid vehicles and as a ride along passenger, Gary observed from the back seat the dynamics of truly safe driving. In training his daughter, the instructor managed to not only deliver on his main objective but also educate her dad in the very principles that he had learned so long ago and since forgotten.

Gary began to apply the instructor's directions and driving advice to his own daily driving and not surprisingly, he started to see good results in his Camry Hybrid. Armed with this new-found incentive he finally decided to adopt some of our earlier recommendations and the final accomplishments pretty much speak for themselves. Gary is now consistently getting fuel economy numbers in the 4.5 to 6.0 L/100km range and also admits feeling like a much safer driver.

As a reinvigorated and rehabilitated driver, Gary forwards the following advice to drivers of Camry Hybrids:

1. Take it easy. Keep your energy usage low and brake gently
2. Look ahead and plan your accelerations and stops
3. Follow the posted speed limit. It's true, you wont arrive any later.
4. Put the tire air pressure at 42 PSI and never let it get lower
   
5. Follow the gauges. Its fun and it really works!!!
6. Read and learn online
7. And last and not least... leave driver's Ed to the professionals
   

Thank you Gary and good luck. We're always excited to see positive change even if it is one person/family at a time. ;)

Squeezing your hybrid for the best "summer time" fuel economy

As the winter wanes, the warmer temperatures return in almost lock-step with higher fuel economy for any vehicle. Your hybrid vehicle is no different as it too, appears to produce better and better numbers as we advance into spring and summer.

But how do you know that you are getting the best your hybrid can offer?

To start, look at the federal fuel efficiency ratings for your vehicle. Whatever that number happens to be, that is now your goal baseline. You may not always be able to achieve it... but then again, you may be yet another good hybrid driver that not only meets the rating but also exceeds it by a good margin.

First, lets consider how well your vehicle is setup. The following checklist will help you achieve an ideal setup:

1. Clear your trunk/hatch area and make sure that remove anything from the car that does not belong. This not only includes the usual seasonal items, but also items that you do not need to lug around on a daily basis.
   
   
2. Replace your winter tires with your OEM lower rolling resistance tires and do not forget to check the tire pressures. Again, the manufacturer recommended pressures are the minimum safe pressures and the Maximum Tire Pressure rating embossed on the tire’s sidewall represents the ultimate in fuel economy at the expense of the highly subjective ride comfort. Please use our tire pressure formula if you are unsure about what tire pressures to select for your hybrid:
   
   

   Tire pressure (front tires) = Maximum Tire Pressure – 2 PSI
   Tire pressure (rear tires) = Maximum Tire Pressure – 4 PSI

   NOTE: Statistically speaking, tire failures (including blow-outs) occur because of under-inflated tires. Under inflated tires heat up a lot faster and will lead to accelerated tire wear and even catastrophic tire failure. In addition to offering improved fuel economy, higher tire pressures will lead to cooler running tires as well as even wear patterns.

3. Check your hybrid’s air filters and fluids and on the latter, make sure the fluids are maintained in good condition and at safe levels. Also, your engine oil should never be overfilled unless you want your gasoline engine to work extra hard.
   
   
4. Get those windshield sun shades out and make sure they are in good shape so their their coverage may be the best possible.
   
   
5. Operate your air conditioning at least once every week for 10 minutes in order to keep the system lubricated and in good working condition.

Once your vehicle is properly setup, whatever remains is quite easy depending on your willingness to do your part.
Yes, that’s right. Your hybrid vehicle has a great deal of potential but you must be willing to tap it and bring it to fruition. As usual, here are our perennial recommendations for safe and fuel efficient driving:

Drive defensively. Look ahead and try to anticipate the actions of other drivers ahead and around you. Learning to use your hybrid instruments (gauges, displays, graphs, etc) will help you greatly. Avoid feeling intimidated by other aggressive drivers while remaining courteous and fully compliant with the traffic act.

Minimize the use of your brakes by slowing down gently, preferably by leveraging your vehicle’s "glide" features. Please remember that when you are gliding you are neither using gasoline nor electricity to cover the distances you travel. If you use electricity, please make sure you use it to cover the longest distances possible.

Make sure you minimize the use of the cruise control on hilly terrain. The cruise control will make the engine work harder to maintain the speed as you climb the hills and that, is to be avoided at all costs.
Instead disengage the cruise control just before entering a climb and gently apply pressure on the accelerator pedal in order to maintain the best instantaneous fuel economy with minimal loss of speed. Do this while driving in the right most lane without impeding the normal flow of traffic.

Avoid aggressive accelerations and minimize the use of electric power as much as you should seek lowest RPMS when powered by the gas engine. Always remember that the electricity you use comes from the burning of gasoline, so minimize its use or use it wisely.

Let the hot air out first and then use your air conditioning wisely. Setting the climate control to the highest temperature possible and then slowly bringing it down (1 degree per minute) will provide you with the best results in cooling without impacting your fuel economy too much.

Lastly, focus on obeying your local traffic laws particularly with regards to the posted speed limits. If the conditions permit, travel no faster than the posted speed limit and even 5-15 km/h slower if possible. Why is it so important to do this? Because the air resistance to your vehicle quadruples every time you double your speed, so keeping the speeds down is one way to drive safely and, save the most fuel (money) and pollute even less.


If you have any additional recommendations then please include your vehicle, and driving regimen (% urban/ % highway) for reference. Finally drop by CleanMPG to learn how to safely take your fuel economy to higher levels with hypermiling.

Believe me, you will not regret it. ;)

Where are the Honda Hybrids? No, really! Where are they?

For many Canadians, the word "hybrid" will evoke the image of a distinctive looking Prius vehicle. Yes, these ubiquitous Toyota hybrids can be found in the streets of many Canadian cities performing the quiet and socially responsible role of people movers, as well as the popular workhorse of many Taxi fleets. And on this note, the Prius has become nothing short of a solid statement about not only the vehicle's reliability, but also its transportation potential and remarkable industry value.

Unfortunately for Honda, having been the first to introduce the "hybrid vehicle" to Canadians drivers did not guarantee the level of success they originally had hoped for. And after almost 10 years, why should Honda - a company with a world class legacy and formidable engineering resources – fail to meet its sales goals?

Maybe because it's not just about engineering?

Still, maybe Honda’s IMA hybrid architecture could have been made more capable, flexible and scalable, particularly when compared to latest Toyota HSD, but even in this area, Honda could have leveraged other opportunities that their IMA architecture has offered from the onset. Instead, Honda chose not to. Why?


The hybrid architecture

As evidenced by many in the hybrid community, the Honda IMA architecture has excellent world class environmental potential that is able to deliver truly astounding fuel economy performance in the hands of an attentive driver.

Yes, Honda hybrids will not deliver the most exceptional performance unless its driver is willing to learn and minimally leverage the finer attributes of the platform. But even when operated by an oblivious driver, the architecture will offer significantly improved fuel savings and lower emissions when compared to its non-hybrid counterparts. On this note, the IMA system has significant merits that cannot be ignored.


Packaging and implementation

The best performing Honda hybrids have always demanded some form of compromise on the part of its driver. Granted, for some the positive attributes of a Honda hybrid greatly outweigh the deficits and the word "compromise" is not always applicable. But in the eyes of the general public, Honda has taken a literal back seat to the much vaunted versatility offered by the Prius. The lack of a rear folding seat and a more constrained trunk capacity in its Civic Hybrids is a notable shortcoming in the eyes of many buyers.
Yes, the newer Honda Insight attempted to remedy this, but it introduced a few other limitations too with lower fuel economy, reduced passenger interior space and lower perceived quality (interior and ride).


Advertising and Product Awareness

To some, a Honda hybrid does not shout the “Look at me, I'm a hybrid” slogan whether parked or in motion and that is a big plus for many. But, its ability to sell in good numbers cannot be enhanced if such stealth is accompanied by minimalistic advertising efforts either.

On this front Honda Canada not only gets a regrettable rating in terms of promoting their hybrid models to Canadians, but they also get knocked down a few more points for not responding to community requests that could strengthen and enhance the visibility of their hybrid product line.

It is as if Honda Canada does not really want to sell any of its hybrids. At all! This is not only perplexing, but also contrary to the company’s long standing claim that it is truly serious about meeting its hybrid production goals.

But, would good advertising help Honda compete with such a shrewd and very able competitor like Toyota?

We are quite certain it would help. Especially when coupled with a lower pricing strategy and/or a more active presence in the community. And on this last ingredient, did I mention that Honda hybrid fans feel orphaned and often demoralized at green automotive shows and events without even the slightest corporate presence in sight?

Also, while the second generation Honda Insight is languishing on the dealer lots, its Honda Civic Hybrids have minimal visibility and must often be ordered in with the usual delays which is unacceptable to a green minded driver who may just as well buy a Prius from a Toyota dealer across the street. To make matters worse, in Canada the Prius is as affordable as the Civic Hybrid and the EX Insight and that is not a recipe for a sales success either.


A few desperate but yet friendly suggestions for Honda Canada:

• Please, please, please: Lower the second generation Honda Insight prices by at least $1,000 and offer the navigation only as an option in the EX trim. Many would purchase the already well appointed EX if it was not loaded with the NAVI and the price it carries.
  
• Offer navigation on the Civic Hybrid as an option, as well as other sorely missing "luxury" features (leather, etc) to match the European flavors. Concerned about the Acura CSX? Don’t be!
  Simply re-badge the European Civic hybrid as the Acura CSX hybrid. As a previous Acura owner, I would certainly buy one for sure.
• Please advertise and train your dealers to sell the virtues of Honda hybrid vehicles. The last thing you need is for dealers to openly discourage the purchase of Honda hybrid vehicles. Many have done this, and some still continue to do so. Acura dealers are particularly notorious for this.
• Encourage and support your Honda service technicians to own and drive hybrids. It is quite frustrating for many Honda hybrid owners to have to explain basic operational concepts to these hard working technicians in the hopes of getting problems resolved in a prompt manner.
• Last and not least, please support your fan base by just being present at events where Honda Hybrids are showcased. Your fan base is out here - in the real world - and they've been calling for you for many years.
  

Finally, drive safely and don't forget to greet the next Honda hybrid owner you cross paths with. :)

Spring is coming... and your winter tires have a reminder for you!

Like many Canadian hybrid owners, you look at Spring as the return of the promised mileage and maybe even the opportunity to catch up on a few tasks around the yard left over from last summer.

But, as yet another winter season approaches the end, more tasks get lined up before you can go about enjoying the upcoming good weather. On this note, we would like to kindly remind our readers to not forget about their winter tires (you do use winter tires don’t you?).

Indeed, as soon as the weather begins to warm up and the temperatures begin to hover in the positive numbers, it is imperative to protect and preserve those expensive winter tires by switching them with your OEM LRR tires. Because of their very nature and construction, winter tires will experience accelerated wear when operated in warmer temperatures and that is something well worth avoiding, not only from a cost perspective but also in terms of their long term winter time effectiveness.

Quite often and regrettably so, some folks will continue to use their winter tires in higher temperatures only to discover that they've incurred more wear in one single month of operation, than they would over the course of two complete winters !!!

So, either mark your calendar or schedule an appointment with your favorite tire shop to have them switched. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, then make sure you clean up the winter tires (and the wheels) before storing them away. Removing the rocks stuck in the tire threads also helps a great deal.

When storing the winter tires with the winter rims attached, you can choose to stack them inflated. When storing them without the rims, many pros will suggest you keep them vertical. It’s all up to you, but do get those tires switched. ;)

Feasting on Toyota's Misfortunes

It is not a good time to be a Toyota corporate representative at all. Walk over to your local Toyota dealer and you’ll likely see a change in tone that was not there before the media blew the lid off the un-intended acceleration issue.

Not too long ago, the once invincible Toyota Corporation had very little preventing it from becoming the top automaker in the world and not even the “engine sludge” debacle of the late 1990’s did much to tarnish its image in the eyes of the industry and the consumer alike.

Yes, Toyota had won the admiration of many and it effectively established the gold standard that other automakers were measured against. Toyota’s rise to the top was neither sudden nor without merit. Over the last decades, the company invested heavily on quality, technology and marketing that all but guaranteed it’s almost bullet proof reputation.

And despite the steady improvements by some of its competition, the industry as a whole is not without high profile recalls and it is only sensible - and self preserving - for other automakers to adopt a measured and restrained position even though they will invariably benefit from Toyota’s hardships.

Take Honda for instance. The company’s management instructed its employees and public relations personnel to not only avoid commenting Toyota’s misfortunes but also avoid predatory public comments.

Yes, Honda sales numbers indicate that the company is benefiting from Toyota’s woes but make no mistake: Honda is keenly aware that they are not immune to similar issues and on this note, neither is any other manufacturer. Unless you are a bottom feeder in this industry, you will refrain from publicly and openly capitalizing on Toyota’s misfortune.

How about consumers, particularly those who are directly affected by these recalls? Well, I break this rather significant universe into two distinct groups: The long time Toyota owners, and those who have only recently purchased their first Toyota.

It is quite possible that Toyota’s long term prospects are not in jeopardy with the first group of owners. These owners have likely purchased two or more Toyota vehicles and have become very loyal to the brand. Perhaps the most loyal Toyota fans are the owners of the company’s most recognized hybrid car, the Prius. If you have any doubts about this, why not check some of the most popular online forums like CleanMPG and PriuChat?

The same cannot be said about the second group of owners. In fact, Toyota has every reason to be very concerned about this second group of owners as well as the pool of potential new owners that are so critical for its continued growth. You see, these owners did not have a chance to develop the brand loyalty of the first group and are hence more likely to cast doubt on Toyota’s much vaunted reputation.

Will Toyota ever recover from the effects of this crippling rash of recalls (floor mats, stuck accelerator pedals, steering issues and alleged software glitches)?

While we certainly hope so, we also hope that the automaker will re-engineer its internal communication processes as well as the mechanisms that admittedly failed the consumers and the brand’s image. This includes improved customer support as well as a return to a greater focus on quality control in all stages of the design and manufacturing processes.

The future remains bright for Toyota and we have no doubt that this crisis is not going to be wasted by the company, the government regulatory agencies or its competitors.

Even the legal industry is a significant beneficiary as it devours the automaker’s margins and reputation in its insatiable appetite for lawsuits.

Even though the maggots also get to feed, consumer and product safety will improve and that my friends, is good for us all.