Interviewed and Drive Test with Newspaper Reporter Today!

[SVOboy]

Good to hear! It is always nice to hear such things, receptive reporters, such and such.

Anyway, what is this Program you have? Tell me more!

[Matt Herring]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Good to hear! It is always nice to hear such things, receptive reporters, such and such.

Anyway, what is this Program you have? Tell me more!

SVO,

Last Fall I decided to put my hypermiling skills to work for me and I started (very unofficially) my "Super Commuter Driving School." I posted on ecomodder about this last year (the thread is below here if you want to see my initial posts when I came up with the idea).

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ness-5812.html

My business involves teaching everyday drivers how to get better gas mileage in their own vehicles. I hook up my SGII to their car and let them drive over a selected route as they normally would. After they finish we check the results and then I drive the same course and check my SGII results. With the 9-10 people I instructed last year I was able to get anywhere from 5-11 mpg better than them. The lesson lasts about an hour and I charge $20 or $25 for it.

While I'm driving their car I explain the different techniques I am using (pulse and glide, neutral coast, timing stop lights and traffic, etc.). After we both drive the car and analyze the results I then give them a hypermiling homework assignment (usually something like inflate your tires to max psi, pulse and glide on your commute this week, etc). I also provide some literature about their car, what EPA means, what EPA means for their car, how to keep a fuel log and that they should join ecomodder (at least to keep track of their fuel log at a minimum)!!!!

Initially, I only started the business to pay for my SGII but people have been very receptive to my business and I've made some good profit on it. I have magnetic signs on the side of my car promoting my business and have received a few lessons from that (you can also see them in the thread link I provided above).

Last week I was able to land an interview and road test with a local "green living" reporter to take a lesson from me and it went very well! The article should be out in the next couple weeks and I'm anxious to see it.

All in all, with gas prices rising, I figured I should get proactive about getting some lessons to make some extra cash.

[UfoTofU]

Originally Posted by Matt Herring

Plus, it would be good to have some people near me to build up a group of people interested in hypermiling.

Perhaps you can start a community on craigslist since the listings are local and more popular. You can also post about your business there. Good luck

[Matt Herring]

Originally Posted by kitaimdao

Perhaps you can start a community on craigslist since the listings are local and more popular. You can also post about your business there. Good luck

I have my business on CL under automotive services...been up for a few weeks but no bites yet. I've reposted it a couple times.

Yesterday, I was driving home from work and I saw a Honda Insight all modded up nice. I was about 10 cars behind it and saw it pull into (ironically) a gas station. I swung into the next parking lot and was going to pull into the gas station to chat with the guy but then he pulled out. So I swung back onto the street and tried to chase him down but I lost him. He had all kinds of mpg stickers on his car and his drivers side door had a big sign that said "Elite Hybrid Vehicle." Maybe I'll see him around again soon...would love to get up close to see what he's got on his car.

[Matt Herring]

Was informed the newspaper article will be out July 10...looking forward to it. Will post when it's available.

[Matt Herring]

The article came out today...read here...overall very pleased. The paper dedicated alot of space to it and included 4 photos (checking tire pressure, my grill block, my SGII and checking the trunk for unwanted cargo)...

Drive down gas consumption by hypermiling your commute - SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

[99CamryPilot]

Matt -
I enjoyed the article, and interested in the business side you're pursuing. I've thought about it as well - more working with a local dealership ... customer buys a new car, and gets a lesson on the capabilities. My first thought is you're not charging near enough for an hour of invaluable material. Keep in mind the return in the first year of implementation.

Mileage Builder

[Matt Herring]

99 -

It was really quite easy to build a decent following with my business. If you have a relationship with a dealership you are ahead of the game (I lost my main contact at my local Toyota dealership so I'm still trying to get my foot back in the door there). I'm taking two angles with the dealership...the one you mentioned with someone that already bought a car and secondly to help the dealership sell cars by showing possible buyers what they can get for mpg's if they buy the car.

I've only done a dozen or so lessons but they paid for my SGII plus some. I'll see what reaction I get from this article and see if it generates more business. Good luck on your business...it's alot of fun and a little extra pocket change too!

[Matt Herring]

The hypermiling bashers are chiming in over at the article that is posted online at the Salem News. Take a trip over there to read more and support your local hypermiler if you feel inclined. Link to the article is in post 16.

[Daox]

Meh, its just the guy bantering on because he is mad that he can't speed in the slow lane... typical responses.