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Step 1
Avoid aggressive driving, speeding and pedal-to-the-metal acceleration. Gradual acceleration and deceleration is important for hybrid fuel efficiency, just as it is in other cars.
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Step 2
Use your air-conditioning sparingly to increase fuel efficiency. Laboratory tests conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory have shown that the using air conditioning has a dramatic effect on fuel economy in a hybrid car.
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Step 3
Take your automobile in for regular service visits. A well-tuned hybrid engine, with relatively clean engine oil, will help you achieve maximum fuel efficiency.
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Step 4
Maintain proper tire pressure. Soft tires reduce fuel economy, and tires that are too hard reduce handling and control. Maintain pressure at the level recommended by your tire manufacturer.
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Step 5
Use common sense. Carrying extra weight around in your vehicle will reduce your fuel efficiency.
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Step 6
Try not to drive your hybrid in extreme cold, as it reduces fuel efficiency.
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Step 7
Allow ample distance between your hybrid and the car in front of you, which will allow you to maintain your vehicle's momentum and avoid unnecessary braking.
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Step 8
Anticipate stoplights and other stops in the flow of traffic by coasting or decelerating, so that you don't have to come to a complete stop. Accelerating from a complete stop requires more fuel than accelerating after coasting.
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Step 9
Use cruise control whenever possible. It can help you avoid the "heavy foot on the gas pedal" syndrome that can kill good mileage. A hybrid vehicle that is traveling at 75 mph will use about 10 percent more gasoline than the same vehicle will at 65 mph.
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Step 10
Get a cruising pass or transponder for toll roads if you use these roads regularly. You practice fuel economy when you can avoid unnecessary stops and starts.
