Surging fuel prices have once again slung Hypermiling into the limelight as motorists struggle at the hands of surging prices and price gouging forecourts.
Whilst we (well I) wholeheartedly welcome the increased exposure and the opportunity to help educate those new to hypermiling. This does however come with some tough truths about us as a society in general.
We are selfish. We are creatures born of our own self-interest and convenience. We only consider changing our habits when faced with the real possibility of our own loss.
Before fuel prices raged we’d think nothing of wasteful trips in our pollution-spewing death machines, catering to our own (mostly) petty self-interest with no concern for the damage fossil fuels and the associated industries have done to our environment.
The first question I’m always asked is what is Hypermiling. It’s the art of maximising fuel and energy (thanks to EVs) efficiency by modifying our driving styles and habits. The key here is habits. A true hypermiler starts before they even turn the key. We find other means of transport. We walk, we cycle we take public transport. We do everything possible to avoid using our cars. This is hypermiling in its most basic and effective form. It requires little skill or knowledge but does require sacrifice. In my opinion, we simply are not willing or capable of doing this.
Our communities and cultures have grown around the need for a car. Our shopping is no longer focused on the high street, we are directed out of town to faceless business parks to shop in warehouses run by faceless companies exploiting their workers whilst maximising profits at the expense of independent retailers and crumbling high streets. We don’t care. We don’t care that we pay the price for this convenience. We are consumers.
We consume fuel like we consume many other things in our lives. We consume until it is no longer is in OUR interest. We moan about fuel prices yet still make excuses for our laziness. We do everything we can to blame others for the impact fuel prices have on our lives with little thought on what WE can do.
With fuel producers posting bumper profits, it’s left to the rest of us to live with the fallout. The workers who were heralded for our resolve working from home, applauded for our resilience and now forced back into the office during record pump prices whilst those in charge host zoom meetings from their second homes in Cornwall.
Believe what you want, all I know is that if fuel prices didn’t affect you… would you be reading this?
We all need to change. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up about that. Let fuel prices be a catalyst for change.