4 Tips for Safely Trying Out the Habit of Hypermiling Photo: The News Wheel If you’re not familiar with hypermiling, it’s the practice of driving a vehicle while using the least amount of fuel. Per HowStuffWorks contributor Cherise Threewitt, drivers who observe this habit usually do so for frugal or environmental reasons — or both. Interested in trying out hypermiling? Some techniques are safer on your vehicle than others. Here are a handful of strategies to follow as you experiment with this unique driving habit. Photo: The News Wheel It might seem drastic, but serious hypermilers will often turn off the air-conditioning system and refrain from tapping into their vehicle’s electricity to boost mileage. Even using your car to charge your smartphone can take a toll on efficiency. This practice lowers your car’s MPG by 0.03 miles, as Jalopnik’s Jason Torchinsky claims.