We’ve written a lot about hypermiling this year at takepart (here, here, here, and here for starters), so obviously it’s something that is on the radar of a lot of people.  Well, the New Oxford American Dictionary has decided to make hypermiling all the more official, as it is the 2008 Word of the Year.  Says the Oxford University Press blog:

“Hypermiling” was coined in 2004 by Wayne Gerdes, who runs this web site. “Hypermiling” or “to hypermile” is to attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one’s car and one’s driving techniques. Rather than aiming for good mileage or even great mileage, hypermilers seek to push their gas tanks to the limit and achieve hypermileage, exceeding EPA ratings for miles per gallon. [via Treehugger]

The word beat out other finalists like, “frugalista,” “moofer,” and “topless meeting,” which is much less sexy than it sounds.

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While I enjoyed watching the guys from Mythbusters find ways to improve fuel efficiency yesterday, it seems they left out the promising potential of a car that runs almost entirely on compressed air.  Zero Pollution Motors is preparing to launch 8,000 Compressed Air Vehicles (CAVs) by 2011, which will be sold directly from factories in the United States. (Hopefully they can get someone to fix up their website sooner!)

Check out this video report from CNN:

(Excuse me, Mr. Beck: “No man would drive a smart car”?! I’ll assume that comes from a place of insecurity.)

This is where we need to be heading to remove ourselves from

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willyoujoinus.com is a website that urges you to save gas and conserve energy coming from a place you might not expect it - Chevron.

The site, which has a counter showing you how many barrels of gas have been consumed around the globe since you arrived at the site (I’m over 770,000 already), has an interactive energy generator calculator that shows you how to “do more with less.”  And, starting tomorrow, there will be an MPG Optimizer to learn how to “drive smarter” to save gas.

Perhaps most interesting is the Energyville game, which is SimCity-styled and puts you in charge of the energy resources of an entire city.   You get to decide how your city reaches full power, and the risks and rewards that go along with it.

Of course, Chevron isn’t only telling you how you can stop buying their gas - they’re telling you what the company is doing to become more efficient, how they’re embracing solar power, and so forth.   They’ve also compiled a section of important energy issues, so you can better educate yourself about the problems facing us going forward, and some viable solutions.

So, shiny graphics and fun games aside, what do we think?

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Having recently moved from New York City to Baltimore, I’ve been putting my Top 5 Hypermiling Techniques to use on the regular.   Here’s what I’ve found on these gas saving tips that will keep your money in your wallet and out of the bank accounts of a Supermajor oil company:

1. Always know what your gas mileage is at each visit to the pump. - This one is easy enough.   My mother has actually been keeping records of her gas mileage my entire life, even when gas was under $1.00/gallon, so I guess I’m genetically predisposed.   However, now with Fuelly, an online mileage calculator app and social networking site for hypermilers, keeping tabs on your fuel consumption and comparing it with others has never been easier.

2.  Keep your tires properly inflated. - This one is also pretty easy.   All you need to do is roll on up to that free pump at the gas station (don’t use the ones that charge you, there’s something indecent about paying for air) and pump your tires on up to spec.

3.  Stop driving aggressively. - I’ve been trying on this one, really trying.   And while I don’t drive nearly as wildly as I did as a hell-on-wheels youngster, I still have some work to do to get the aggressive NYC Subway instincts under control when driving a car.   I’ll keep working on it though.

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Fuelly is a new online application and social group website for hypermilers.   With gasoline prices still hovering sky high, the site provides an easy way for users to track their gasoline mileage and the expenses incurred while comparing those figures to other users.   Built by Oregonians Matt Howie and Paul Bausch over two weeks in July 2008, the website even offers a mobile option for users to enter mileage and expense information right at the pump.

I for one am a complete geek for keeping track of mileage information so this site is great news for me as it appeals to both my fuel efficiency and techie sensibilities.   Plus having the added bonus of being able to compare my data to others with the same exact model and year of car makes this website a must bookmark for any serious hypermiler.

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It’s time to set the record straight: Properly Inflated Tires Save Gas. There’s been a large amount of petty political posturing over this embarrassingly simple fuel efficiency technique recently, with John McCain’s Presidential campaign attempting to mock Barack Obama for including it in his energy plan.

So now that we’ve heard the spin, what are the facts?  Properly inflated tires across this country when coupled with regular service and tune ups could save between 3% and 4% of all the gasoline consumed in the United States per year.   When compared to the recent Republican gimmick policy initiative demanding more drilling off of U.S. coastlines which will net, at most, 200,000 barrels of oil per day, which is at most 1% of US gasoline demand, five to ten years from now, it’s pretty clear which solution makes more sense.

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Eco-geeks will love these top 5 iPhone applications via Earth2Tech that will help you save money on gas AND help reduce your carbon footprint by using less fuel:

1) AccuFuel: This nifty app lets you track your gas mileage with the help of fancy graphics and a quick performance comparison. Made by Appigo. 99 cents.

2) FuelGage: Doesn’t have the sparkly graphics that AccuFuel has, but offers the same utility. Track multiple trip totals for one or more vehicles, and even figure out how to split the gas bill. Made by Joseph Kueser. 99 cents.

3) GasHog: No frills, no graphs, but offers the same functionality as the two programs above. 99 cents

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It’s official: Toyota will offer a solar panel-powered Prius in 2009. In these days of high fuel prices and environmental concerns, this silver lining in the cloud of car-created CO2 is long overdue. According to Gizmodo, the solar panels will be offered on the next generation of the high-end Prius hybrid model. Interestingly enough, the panels will even power the air conditioning. Toyota will be the first major automaker to go solar with their vehicles.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Arrested in Development by Wendy Cohen

Is Google Making Us Dumber? by Blair Golson

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 5 Ways to Green Your July 4th

Greenopia: Eco-Guides For Your City

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Andy Kondrat:

Hypermiling Contest Winner Gets 124 Miles to the Gallon

Rise in Fuel Prices May Lead to Dirtier Energy Sources

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Jon Popham:

Red Tide in Yellow Sea Threatens Olympics

Mercedes-Benz Ditching Gasoline Cars by 2015

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Giulia Rozzi:

46664 Concert: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

Denise Richards Likes to Share

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Gina Telaroli:

Top 10 Movies for the 4th of July: For Patriots and Cynics!

The Radical and Beautiful Journey of Wall-E

Hypermiling is kind of, what’s the word…crazy? Yeah. Crazy. That’s the word. The dedication to getting as much distance out of one gallon of gas possible seems kind of strange, but when you can get results like Jack Martin, the adjective that comes to mind is merely “impressive.” In this year’s Tour to the Shore hypermiling contest, which is a real event, Martin managed to get 124 miles out of one gallon of gas in an unmodified Honda Insight. Seriously.

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