How To Drive Your Hybrid Car Efficiently

Given that gas prices have been steadily increasing, many consumers are choosing to purchase hybrid cars. While a hybrid vehicle is great for saving money at the pump, drivers can decrease their overall fuel costs even more by driving their car efficiently. Here’s how you can do that.

Keep up With the Maintenance of Your Hybrid Vehicle

As a hybrid car owner, it’s important to keep up with the car’s regular maintenance. It’s just like maintaining a gas-only vehicle, but with a couple of added touches. In addition to the usual things like oil changes, tire rotations, and fuel system cleaning, you also want to check the trunk regularly. Keep it cleaned out, so the car doesn’t have to carry all that weight around. Also, if possible, remove any roof racks or storage bins since they lead to more wind resistance, which means decreased fuel efficiency.

Adapt to The Pulse and Glide Technique of Driving

Pulse and glide is a method of accelerating and then coasting. Rather than constantly depressing the gas, you accelerate to your desired speed and then let your foot off the pedal until it’s time to pulse again. When you play around with this technique, be aware of your cruise control feature and factor that in. You can also use this technique when braking by gently tapping on the brakes and coasting instead of slamming on them every time. This technique will make any driver more efficient by decreasing gas usage.

Use Your Car’s Features and Accessories as Smartly as You Can

Using your hybrid car’s accessories sparingly is an easy way to help you save money at the gas pump. This means turning off your AC and heater when you don’t need them and putting your car in the eco mode as much as possible. Your passengers might not enjoy the ride as much, but they are probably more willing to accept a short amount of discomfort, as opposed to having to shell out all their hard-earned dollars every time they have to fill up and drive their own car.