1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff you Should Know 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: from House Stuff Works dot Com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. With me is Chuck Bryant. 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: We are podcasting right in the midst of death season. Chuck. Wow, Yeah, 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: what I don't I don't know big Man, Fara Fawcett, 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, some impressionist. I don't know that 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: comedian guy. Yeah, people dropping like flies. Wow. Yeah, I 9 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: feel lucky to be here. I do too. Actually, Chuck, 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: I'm on vacation. I know you are. Chuck Bryant is 11 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: such a world class employee that he actually came in 12 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: while on vacation too. Podcasts. This is I'm Freshen from 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: the airport yep. From wedding in Columbus, Ohio. How was 14 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: it my first Catholic wedding? Dude? Those things are awesome? 15 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: My first one elnty of wine? Uh yeah, the reception, sure, 16 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: but no wine at the at the mass or you 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: were looking around there there were flasks of wine and 18 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: the fews. You believe me. It was long pretty cool though, 19 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: I've never experienced that. When everyone started, uh reciting the 20 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: things chanting is it called chanting that? I call it chanting? 21 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: It freaked me out at first, Yeah, quite honestly because 22 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: I grew up Baptist and there's people don't say anything 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: out loud in Baptist churches. But it was interesting, definitely 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: a cool experience to go through. That's you only really 25 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: need to do it once. I would agree, you know, 26 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: and I doubt if I'll go to a lot more weddings. 27 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: So dude, when I was living in Toledo, I probably 28 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 1: spent fifty to seventy hours a week in a Catholic wedding, 29 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: series of Catholic weddings. Yeah, columb is pretty cool though. 30 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: It's Yeah, Ohio state not bad, Bill Buckeyes. Alright, are 31 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: we done? Yes? Okay, what are we talking about today? 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: We are talking about gas mileage? Oh yes, and how 33 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: it's calculated, right yep, kick us off, chuck. Well, Uh, 34 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: something you folks might notice when you go to buy 35 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: a car these days, Um, they'll advertise certain gas mileage 36 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: and you may not get the gas mileage when you're 37 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: driving the car that was on the sticker on the 38 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: side of the car. Or on the TV commercial that 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: was kicking us off. That's a very common thing to 40 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: not get the gas mileage that's stated. Well why well, 41 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: because well let's let's get into this, all right, let's 42 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,839 Speaker 1: do it, Chucks. So basically, as you stated, pretty much, 43 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: God and everybody knows that whatever that says on the 44 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: the sticker on the car for the whatever it's miles 45 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: per gallon has been calculated at is vastly more than 46 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: what you're actually going to get. And um, it's not 47 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: because the e p A isn't putting cars that it 48 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: tests through rigorous experiences, right, it's not because they don't care. No, 49 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, they don't test almost any 50 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: of the cars that come out. That's actually left to 51 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: the auto manufacturers. That was kind of but there. They 52 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: submit their findings to the e p A for review, 53 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: and then the e p A, I guess, randomly tests 54 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: about ten to fift of the new models that are released. Yeah, 55 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: a little disappointed. I would have thought the would be 56 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: a little more involved than that. You would think so, 57 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: but no, not really. They're busy though, busy running around 58 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to bring super fun sites 59 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: back exactly Brown fields um, so chuck. The other I 60 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: guess big weirdness that has to do with e p 61 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: a UM fuel efficiency calculations is that cars actually don't 62 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: ever see the road. True, They're put on what are 63 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: they called. It's called a It sounds kind of fantastic. 64 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: It's called dynamometer. Nice dynamometer. Dynamometer, dynamo, Yeah, something like 65 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: along those lines. Let's call it a fun machine. Actually, 66 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: it's like it's like a treadmill for a car, is 67 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: what it is. Right, So the car is actually in 68 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: a lab being tested. Uh, and it's kind of like 69 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: Ferris Bueller's Day Off exactly, not in reverse, right. Um, 70 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: And I guess they have the city They have a 71 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: city test, which is what Well, both tests involved a 72 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: professional driver, so this Yeah, I wonder if they get paid. Yeah, 73 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: that's a good question. Go into the e p A 74 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: test drive a car for a few minutes. I wonder 75 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 1: what everybody gets paid, do you? Oh? Yeah, I'm one 76 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: of those guys. So yeah, professional driver gets in, uh 77 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: to simulate depending on which which tests city or or highway, 78 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: which driving conditions. So the city program, what they do is, uh, 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: they get in, start the engine cold, and then they 80 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: simulate stop and go traffic idling, that kind of thing. 81 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: I think. They say eleven miles is how how far 82 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: they drive, and they make twenty three stops over the 83 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: course of thirty one minutes. Right, drive an average speed 84 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: of twenty miles an hour and the top speed of 85 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: fifty six miles an hour, which is yeah, it seems smart. Yeah, okay, 86 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: all right, and then the highway test, Uh, you start 87 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: out with a warm engine, and they drive ten miles 88 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:08,679 Speaker 1: with an average speed of forty eight miles per hour 89 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: and a top speed of sixty miles for about twelve 90 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: and a half minutes. So let me go ahead and 91 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: say sixty top speed of the same for me, pal 92 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: bat out of hell. Uh, And I just drive as 93 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: fast as I can. And if you are in front 94 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: of me in the fast lane and you're not driving 95 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: faster than me, I'm all upon you. You're like the 96 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: German's pretty much or Winston Wolf. Yeah yeah, not quite 97 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: as fast as that. But well that's because you don't 98 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,119 Speaker 1: have a both up that high. No. No, but um okay, 99 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: So these two tests, this seem logical enough. Here's where 100 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: things become really illogical and where the discrepancies come from right. 101 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: The whole time the e p A is conducting these tests, 102 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: or the auto manufacturers conducting the test. Uh, there is 103 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: a little sensor jammed in the tail pipe, stuck in there, right, 104 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: like when you go to do the emissions testing. Sure, 105 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: and this thing is measuring how much carbon is present 106 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: in the exhaust. Right. So instead of looking at the 107 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: tank meter or whatever, the tank meter, what country am 108 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: I from the gas gage? Yeah, that would be the 109 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: easy way to do it and just divide. But yeah, 110 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: they say it is actually more accurate. It is more accurate. 111 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: The thing is is, I mean, do you drive around 112 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: with the sensor jamed in your tailpipe? I do not, sir, No, 113 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: nor do I very clean person, um, and neither do 114 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: most people, right, correct? Um? So this is why when 115 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: you go buy a car the miles per gallont calculated 116 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: are vastly different. That's not the only problem, right, because 117 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: it's in a lab that automatically changes everything everything. Not 118 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: only do we not drive around the sensors jammed up 119 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: our tailpipes, we also don't drive in laboratories on dynamometers. 120 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: And there are many, many differences between a dynamometer and 121 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: a lab on the road. We're gonna lick that word 122 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: before this podcast over uh weather. That's that's a big one. 123 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: Wind resistance. Most laboratories are indoors, right, different having passengers 124 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: in your car, having a roof rack with your stupid 125 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: bike on the back. Weight aerodynamics and that that's that's 126 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: really probably the biggest one as far as I'm concerned. 127 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: I mean, think about it. The car is not moving, 128 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: it's just the wheels, right, just the wheels, so there's 129 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: no drag whatsoever. Like when I'm flying down seventy doing 130 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: ninety miles per hour and it's hot out, Um, I've 131 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: got all four of my windows rolled down, and that 132 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: just devastates fuel efficiency. Yeah, it completely changes the aerodynamic 133 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: characteristics of the car, which revolvers are kind of boxy 134 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: to begin with. Um, but yeah, I've noticed my my 135 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: gas case just go over like twenty miles. I used 136 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: to I used to drive a Plymouth Valiant. Ever tell 137 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: you about t my cart? Isn't that the one you 138 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: drove back from l A. Well, I towed it to 139 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: l A. It would have you bought it in l A. No, 140 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: I bought it here and towed it out there. I've 141 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: never heard of this car. Then, well, it's a great car, 142 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: but it was one of those old gas guzzlers and 143 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: this thing, literally, dude, if I was accelerating on the highway, 144 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: if you looked hard enough, you could see the needle move. Yeah. 145 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: It was bad. It was real bad. The other things 146 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: they don't account for, Josh, since we're talking about this 147 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: is uh what they call jack rabbit starts or lead 148 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: foot acceleration because that that will burn up your gas quicker. 149 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: And that's realistic city driving, you know, Oh, definitely. Most 150 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: people don't just go they go right, you know, he does, 151 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: He does do that. Chris Cox, our coworker, I see 152 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: a slow patient driver. Yeah, and I hope you listen 153 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: to this. You try, Chris, stay out of the fast Laton. 154 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: Another problem with this test, and and I know it 155 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: seems like we're saying that there's nothing but problems with 156 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 1: this test, but that's because there isn't. Um is that 157 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: it tends to favor or dramatically favor hybrids, right, because 158 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: the belief city driving is where the hybrid really gets 159 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: the most, almost all electric which is produced zero emission. 160 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: And they this they I guess they haven't adjusted the 161 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: formula to account for that. So you know, all of 162 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: a sudden the um, you know, some hybrid cars just 163 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: getting these incredible miles per gallon ratings when they don't really, Um, 164 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: there are some some ways around this. Well, before we 165 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 1: get to that kind of mention, one more thing. These 166 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: are brands spanking new cars that they're driving. Oh yes, 167 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: and not only that they've been broken in properly. There's 168 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: actually a way, um, that you're supposed to break in 169 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: a car when you first buy one. UM. And I 170 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: think it does take place over the course of a 171 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: couple of thousand miles. But you you want to drive 172 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: I think no more than sixty and then stop it 173 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: and it's staggered. There's this whole process to it. It 174 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: could actually probably take up part of a podcast itself. 175 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: And I don't know enough about it to go into 176 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: it because I've never had a new car. No one 177 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: does that, but that's the way you're supposed to do it. 178 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: So apparently the e p A does it. So these 179 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: are brand new cars that have been properly broken in, 180 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: and so they get maximum fuel efficiency right, And I 181 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: think the point, I guess my original point was if 182 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,719 Speaker 1: you I don't remember, you don't maintain your car, and 183 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't maintain their car like you 184 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: probably should. You're gonna get worse gas mileage, right, Plus 185 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: they don't have any of the electrical system running. No 186 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 1: A C. Yeah, well, the tires are perfectly inflated. Basically, 187 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: this is like what the e p A thinks everybody 188 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: should be driving, and absolutely no one does. Well, they 189 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: said they were gonna and we should follow up on this. 190 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: They said they were gonna start doing more realistic tests 191 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: in the future. And they said that the future. Yeah, 192 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if if that's an effect yet, but 193 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: they did say they were going to try and start 194 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: taking some of these more things into account. It's about time, 195 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: it is, you know. And just look at the gas 196 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: gates like everybody else, no one cares how much carbon 197 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: is present in the exhalt save that for the emissions inspection. So, Chuck, 198 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: as I was saying, yes, cheating the e p A. Yeah, 199 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: there's some ways to to beat the e PA at 200 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: their own game, right, well, beat your beat your car 201 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: its own game or the oil companies. Are you talking 202 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: about hyper miling? I am Chuck. You know what that is? 203 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: Hyper miling? Yeah, yeah, sure, Okay, well do you know 204 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: who coined it? Uh, some dude in Chicago. What's his name? 205 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: Wayne Gerdis, the King of hyper miling. Yeah, I think. 206 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if he won the title or not, 207 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: but I think he's the world's most fuel efficient driver. 208 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: I think so too. Yeah, and he is dedicated to it, 209 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: like I will never hyper mile ever, it just takes 210 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: too much patience and you're slow. You're the slowest driver 211 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: on the road and you're hyper mileing, right, you hyper drive? Thanks, 212 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: that's different, but um it, it definitely improves your your 213 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: fuel efficiency for sure. Yeah. Let's hear um Edmonds, the 214 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: car magazine Edmonds. They didn't experiment, and they found at 215 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: hyper miling you can get an extra thirty more per 216 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: gallon and that was in a land Rover. Yeah, which 217 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: guzz And apparently if you hyper mile and like a 218 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 1: Toyota Prius, you can bump it up to like a gallon. 219 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: They say, Yeah, I saw a picture. There was a 220 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: Mother Jones article on Wayne Gurtis, and they had two 221 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: shots of these two different dashboards went from a Prius 222 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: and I think went from an inside or something like that, 223 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: and these things were clocking like a hundred and fifty 224 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: miles per gallon. Man, that's nuts. Yeah, it is nuts. 225 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: And I don't drive I probably, I don't even know. 226 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: If I put fifty miles a week on my car, 227 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: maybe seventy five miles a week, you could make a 228 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 1: tank of gas last like a year. Like that, I 229 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: could if I had a Prius, I should do that. Yeah, 230 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: but I have my old Civic and gets decent gas mileage. 231 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,199 Speaker 1: But I don't drive enough to invest in a new 232 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: car at this point. Well, the cool thing about um 233 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: about hyper milings You don't need a new car. You 234 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: can do it with any car. It's merely a series 235 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: of techniques. You don't have to go buy anything. You 236 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: don't have to do anything except dry. I've pretty conscientiously 237 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: and be aware of what you're doing, like um, accelerating 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: and breaking too quickly. You were saying, uh that that 239 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: was the Edmonds test that was based on taking off 240 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: at a red light or just driving up to your 241 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: red light and slamming on your brakes. They're both waste 242 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 1: of gas. Um, so too is driving on the highway 243 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: without cruise control. Yeah, I didn't realize that they actually 244 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: that same test by Edmonds actually vastly improved the fuel 245 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: efficiency of the land Rover. And I think they tested 246 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: a Mustang too, But they got the biggest bank for 247 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: their buck um using cruise control at seventy on the 248 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: land Rover, Because if you think about it, I mean, 249 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: even if you're really paying attention to staying at seventy 250 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: miles an hour, it's still based on your foot and 251 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 1: your foot is flawed. It's kind of heavy, clumsy thing. 252 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: I know you do. I wasn't gonna bring it up. Um, So, yeah, 253 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: you want to rely on cruise control. Those two things 254 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: alone will will really increase your fuel efficiency. Driving at 255 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 1: lower speeds is a really important thing too. Yeah. Did 256 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 1: it didn't say anywhere with what the ideal speed was. No, 257 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 1: but I've always heard sixty. Really, I've always heard like 258 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: thirty five to forty for like the ultimate gas mileage. 259 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm talking highway, Okay, sure, yeah, you'll get in trouble 260 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: if you drive thirty. Now that makes sense then yeah, 261 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: I think in the city though, it's thirty, is it? Yeah? Well, 262 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: I know that they used to have much Well, I 263 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: guess today's UM posted speed limits back in the early 264 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: seventies or late sixties and then because of the oil embargo, 265 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: that's when they were dropped down to fifty five, was 266 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: to increase fuel efficiency in cars. And then they've kicked 267 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: it back up because everybody's like, we want to drive 268 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: fast again. We don't care about it. We're we're on 269 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: the highway to hell anyway. Just let us drive as 270 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: fast as we want. That can't drive fifty five crowd 271 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: and uh A C apparently is kind of a big one, 272 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: using it at max power, which is decisive, uncompromising and rude. Yeah, 273 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: I I don't. My A C doesn't work. As I said, 274 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: I drive down the highway with the windows open, and 275 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: that apparently is way worse than driving with your A 276 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: C on because of the drag. And this guy he 277 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: also doesn't he coast and cut his engine early if 278 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: he's approaching a parking space, so he'll he'll coast the 279 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: last whatever, however far he can to to park his car. 280 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: And gurtis actually on his site. I think it's clean 281 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: MPG dot com. If that's not his site, he writes 282 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: heavily for it. Um he answered an age old question 283 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: for me. If you are going to be idling for 284 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: longer than seven seconds, turn your car off because it 285 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: takes about seven seconds worth of gas to turn a 286 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: fuel injected car over. He always wondered, Yeah, I've never 287 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: heard like an whoever told me? I didn't believe. I 288 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: believe this guy. So if you're sitting like at a 289 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: at a drive through or something, turn the car off. Yeah, 290 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: you know that's a great idea. Yeah. And then there's 291 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: some slightly more advanced techniques for people who are really 292 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: into this patient people like what like ridge riding. I 293 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: don't know that that was actually another term coined by 294 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: Gurtis that. Um, I hope i'm saying his last name, right, 295 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: I've never met the guy, so okay, um it's where 296 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: you hug the far right line solid line of the 297 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: far right lane on the highway. Uh. And one of 298 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: the there's You do this for two reasons. One is 299 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: to make yourself really obvious and noticeable the other drivers 300 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: so they have an opportunity to pass you early because 301 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: you're going Yeah, because I think he drives like fifty 302 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: or um So then I was probably wrong about sixty 303 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: because this guy is probably gonna drive at the optimal 304 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: speed on the highway. Um. So number one, it makes 305 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: you obvious because you're not positioned like everybody else. But secondly, 306 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: in bad weather, especially rain, you're actually taking yourself out 307 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: of those depressions that have worn into the asphalt with 308 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: huddles are forming sure running through through water. Yeah I 309 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 1: didn't realize that. Yeah, definitely, because your your wheels are moving, 310 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,399 Speaker 1: but you're not getting anywhere. Yeah, that makes sense. So 311 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: you you've lost traction. You're a hyper miler, Josh, in 312 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: a way, I just know a lot about it. Again, 313 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: I'll never do it right. Uh. And then probably my 314 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: favorite is distant anticipatory focus d a F. Yes. So 315 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: Gerti's basically tries to drive like he doesn't have brakes. 316 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, okay, he maintains a very slow, steady pace. 317 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: So he's looking several lights ahead right to uh to 318 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: time his driving to that light. He's trying to accelerate 319 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: slowly to to keep in time with these these lights 320 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: because he wants nothing but green lights. That makes sense. 321 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: He never has to use his brakes. That saves quite 322 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: a bit too. Of course, this is the same guy 323 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: who also turns off his ignition and coats into parking spaces. 324 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: So yeah, but that's pretty much hyper miling. I mean 325 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: there's actually a lot more to it, taking advantage of 326 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: other cars, like using eighteen wheelers to draft off of Yeah, 327 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: well that's a lot of the NASCAR guys hyper mile. 328 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: They don't call it that. I don't know what they 329 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: call it. Someone probably has that answer, but they Yeah, 330 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: during um, the caution when they have like debris on 331 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 1: the track and the pace cars there, Yeah, the little guy, 332 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: I'll throw out the caution flag and that means everyone's 333 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: got to slow down until they clean all the crowd 334 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: off the track, and um, the A lot of the 335 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: drivers will cut their engines and coast for a while 336 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: and then cut them back on and then cut them again, 337 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: and then while they're racing, they will draft. That's a 338 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: very popular technique to save fuel because in NASCAR, if 339 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: you the fewer stops the better. Sure, obviously, yeah you 340 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: Nascar guy, No me neither. I watched it for a while. Remember, 341 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 1: I really love the origin of NASCAR bootlegging. Other than that, 342 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,360 Speaker 1: I'm not really in the NASCAR. My sister in law, Sarah, 343 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: who I was just with in Ohio, is big in 344 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 1: the NASCAR, and we always give her hard time. Yeah, 345 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: we call her a bead neck and stuff. Yeah, it's good. Well, um, 346 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 1: anything about it? No, I mean really until until we 347 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: come up with an alternative fuel source or you know 348 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: standard hundred mile an hour or hundred miles per gallon 349 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: uh cars. It's a good idea hyper mile yeah we 350 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 1: should say, though, I think exercise some caution if you 351 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: want to try this stuff out, because you know some cars, 352 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: if you turn the key off, don't turn all the 353 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: way off because you're steering. Roo whe will walk up. 354 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: It's a good point. And I think sometimes the air 355 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: brakes are activated when you start the car, right yeah, 356 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: so I think you want to keep keep it set 357 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: to ignition or start keep it set to the on 358 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: position so you can still run your radio. No, so 359 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: you still see lights on the dashboard, right yeah, So 360 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: just just be careful if you want to try some 361 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: experimentation here. You were really good at c O A buddy. Well, 362 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: I could see somebody have any idea how many times 363 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: we would have been suedere not for you? And just 364 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: my mind's eye had just pictured someone saying Josh and 365 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: Chuck said to cut my engine, and all of a sudden, 366 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: like who is this Josh and Chuck, they go to 367 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,160 Speaker 1: pull into the car to the parking space and they're 368 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: steering wheel lock sup and have a record six miles 369 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: an hour. Well good, all right, that's hyper miling. And 370 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: e p A. Well, we'll keep an eye out to 371 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: see if the e p A actually does do any 372 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: real world testing. Good idea. Let's se listener mail, I 373 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: think so okay, nowhere to go, but up right, Josh, 374 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: we are going to call this what was in my 375 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: inbox before I came in listener mail. Awesome, that's a secret. Actually, 376 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: I shouldn't ever revealed that the good way to get 377 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: a listener mails to email me the day we record. 378 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 1: It's not a secret anymore. This is about the Peter principal. 379 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: Remember we did a podcast about the fact that many 380 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: companies will not demote somebody, that will just fire somebody 381 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: if they're incompetent. And this is from Jennifer and she 382 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: says that she worked for the same company, has still 383 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: working there for five or six years, and last November 384 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: she was worked her way up to the top of 385 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 1: sales support and she was kicked down to reception instead 386 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: of fired. And she was told about her new job 387 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: and said that she was getting the demotion because she 388 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: was the weakest person on the team and a little harsh, 389 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: I thought so. And she asked him during the meeting 390 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: why didn't they just fire her? And they said because 391 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: she was still a very important part of the teams. 392 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: It's the worst part of the team. Exactly, very important 393 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: part of our team, but the worst part. Don't forget that, uh. 394 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: And she said that um, her pay didn't change, so 395 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,119 Speaker 1: she's actually a very high paid receptionist and um actually 396 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: makes more than a lot of people on the sales 397 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: team now at the reception desk, which I'll bet the 398 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: sales team just loves. And we actually did have someone 399 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: else emailed another company that said that they practiced this 400 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: as well. Well, that's fantastic. Two out of several hundred thousand, Yeah, 401 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: not too bad. And she also adds here at the 402 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 1: end that we sometimes give shout outs to our men 403 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: and women overseas for fighting and Iraq and Afghanistan and 404 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: to support them. And she says that she's an Air 405 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: Force wife and that we should mention families occasionally they're 406 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: left behind because it's very hard on them, do it, Chuck. 407 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: And my brother in law is in the Marine Corps 408 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: and he has been deployed many times. My sister Michelle 409 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: and her kids shall be in Reagan or often left 410 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: at home for months at a time, and it is 411 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: hard on the family. So when we say support the troops, 412 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: we mean the whole family, the whole kid and can 413 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: do it nicely, don't chuck, Thank you nicely. Good. That's it. Well, 414 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: if you want to Mia Colpa out of chuck, you 415 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: can email us at stuff podcast at how stuff works 416 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 417 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,959 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot com. Want more how 418 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: stuff works, check out our blogs on the house. Stuff 419 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: works dot com home page. Brought to you by the 420 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. It's ready, are you