Extreme Makeover - Fuel Edition

It’s de rigueur for personal finance blogs to include a post about reducing fuel costs in a time of skyrocketing gas prices. Most of these posts will include solid, useful information about how to reduce your fuel consumption- drive conservatively, drive less, inflate your tires, and so forth. All great advice. Unfortunately, even if you follow each and every suggestion, you’re unlikely to be able to see much more than a 10-15% decrease in fuel consumption, and if you do see increases greater than this, you must have really been doing things wrong before!

But what if you want to REALLY save on fuel? Here are my extreme recommendations- they won’t work for everybody and aren’t for the faint of heart, but with gas prices expected to continue their upward climb, you might just want to consider them.

1. Try Hypermiling - There are whole communities built around the practice (and, in some respects, the sport) of hypermiling. The techniques advocated by hypermilers are generally standard fuel saving tips taken to the extreme. Some more radical hypermilers even promote certain potentially dangerous (and sometimes illegal) techniques such as drafting trucks, rolling stop signals whenever possible, and turning off your vehicle while coasting.
2. Give Up Your Car- The best possible way to save fuel is to not burn any in the first place. For many of us, the thought of giving up our wheels is unimaginable, but it is possible. Even in cities with poor public transit (such as my own), it is possible to get by, although you may want to invest in a decent iPod to help pass the extended commute. You can also find alternative means of transportation, such as cycling or walking to take the place of your vehicle. For those times when you NEED a car, you can always take a taxi or rent a car- many rental agencies have decent rates for low kilometer weekend rentals- or look into car sharing programs in your city.
3. Replace Your Car - Giving up your car altogether isn’t an option? Well, find a car that is as fuel efficient as possible. It doesn’t have to be a hybrid, either- tiny 4 cylinder (or 3 cylinder, if you can find an older Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift) cars can deliver impressive fuel savings. You’re going to want to look for a small, light car with a manual transmission and excellent fuel economy ratings. Of course, if you’re upside down on your current car, you need to consider whether the potential long-term savings outweigh the loss you’re going to take.
4. Switch to Diesel- If you’re going to replace your current vehicle, seriously consider making the switch to diesel. Modern diesel engines are clean, quiet and generally significantly more fuel efficient. If you’re brave, you can also convert a diesel engine to run on waste vegetable oil or even make your own biodiesel. The most economical vehicle I have ever owned was a VW Golf Turbo Diesel converted to run on waste vegetable oil- I would spend about $10 in fuel for every 1000 kilometers driven. I miss that car…
5. Move - When you drive, where are going most of the time? How far do you live from where you work, play, shop? Suburban sprawl has seen many people live quite some distance from the places they spend much of their time, often 25, 50, even 100 kilometers from where they work. If you’re more than a short commute from where you work, it might be time to consider moving closer. Of course, the less-extreme alternative to this is to move work closer to you, either through telecommuting arrangements or maybe even a new employer closer to where you live.

Are there any techniques I have missed? Have you taken any extreme measures to save on fuel?

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