Just a general undirected statement.
Hypermiling has been in the news for about two years - I have been doing it about three years. The coverage reminds me of the early hybrid reviews of automotive writers that - let's face it: tended to be gearheads, complained they could not get up to the pre 2008 EPA, which is at least 20% better than the typical American driver. Because they really did not know what they were talking about, they did not report it very well - just like hypermiling coverage.
The first couple of hypermiling articles were a bit edgy and interviewees on future articles attempted to avoid that as well as stress hypermilers DO NOT condone drafting semis or rolling stops. There is a tendacy unfortunately of copycating the first story on a topic such as this and not a lot of honest journalism. There was a 2007 episode of Mythbusters dedicated to drafting, and reports insisted on purporting drafting is a common techinque well after hypermilers denounced it. I'm aware that getting a story often involves being in a hurry and not driving like us, so it's only logical many reporters find hypermiling different and even hostile in some cases.
One Channel 5 reporter in Seattle did a shoot on Wayne Gerdes, and that part was neutral to positive, but after it aired, turned out he added at least as much time to the "hazards"....it was not the only story to do this. It was common place to have some quote by a patrolman on the print articles. Quite a number of articles did not even both to contact hypermilers. Then there was the AAA's public release. Regardless to whatever their adjenda was, they have a solid
anti-environmental and anti-safety record...they basically are a lobbying arm for Detroit.
Just as the early hybrid reviews were bad because those reporting did not understand or appreciated them, the hypermiling-bashers have rarely tried it and in many instances do not understand what it really is. At best, they have done a little hypermiling but most have not.
I drive a 2000 5-speed Honda Insight. My morning work communte was typically 50-55mpg doing 70-75mph....today I might be about to get 65mpg at those same speeds. On a warm day, I can get 95-105mpg at 50mpg or a bit slower during pre-rush hour. It was just as much technique as being psylogically tougher. Dallas has more than their fair share of aggressive drivers, but at least 95% will leave me alone if I'm on the rightmost lane and give 1-2 flashes with the emergency flashers when they can easily pass. It's not often when I honestly am in the way of someone behind me, but I get highbeams and honks. Interestingly enough, most of them are drivers passing to the left of me fast enough they could not have possibly been tailgating. I strongly suspect that driving an Insight or Prius promotes even more venting by hybrid haters. Interestingly, no more than 30% of these are in cars - lots of pickups. It's not that unusual some of those that pass nearly close enough to peel paint will be in a bottleneck 1-2 miles down the road behind me. Probably above the curve on DUI or anger management issues.
Conclusions: the ones most vehemently againt hypermiling either don't understand it or hate it, probably because they think it will reduce their ability to speed with impunity. 110 Americans die on the roads each day from speeding, distraction, DUI, recklessness, but as of yet none from hypermiling.