6 ways you're wasting gas

It's not easy to break bad driving habits, but if you don't, the money you lose on gas could wind up breaking your bank.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With all the worry over fuel prices, you'd think drivers would do whatever they can not to waste gas. But look around and you'll see lots of them tooling around as if they owned their own tanker fleet. One of them might be you.

Here are six ways drivers typically waste gas every on every trip:

1. Racing away from green lights
When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine.

Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.

2. Racing up to red lights
When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later.

There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.

By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.

3. Confusing the highway with a speedway
Even if it doesn't involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It's like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back.

In tests by Consumer Reports, going 75 instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.

4. Bumper-buzzing
Tailgating is a bad move for many reasons. First of all, it's unsafe. You reduce your ability to react if the car in front of you slows or stops. It also means you have to pay ultra-close attention to that car which reduces your ability to scan for other hazards ahead of you and to the sides.

And tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That's because you can't react immediately so you have to slow even more because you're slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.

Hang back and you'll be safer - plus you'll be able to drive more smoothly and use less fuel. A good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds of space between your car and the one ahead. You can figure that out by counting off two seconds after the car in front of you passes an obvious landmark like an overpass.

5. Driving standing still
You've probably heard that it takes more gas to restart a car than to let it run. Maybe that used to be true, but it isn't anymore. With modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up.

Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment.

Now you don't want to shut your engine down for every little stop in your regular, non-hybrid car - it's not designed for that - but if you're waiting for someone to run in and out of a convenience store, turn off the engine.

And don't go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. You're already paying enough for the oil in those chicken nuggets.

Bonus tip: Don't idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.

6. Short hops
For really short trips, take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise. Try walking to the store instead of driving. You can save gas and burn a few calories instead.

If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. A lot of short hops that let the engine cool down at home between trips can use twice as much gas as starting the car once and making a big sweep to all your stops, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.

Are you feeling the pinch of high gas prices? Tell us how gas prices are affecting you and what you're doing to cope. Send us your photos and videos, or email us to share your story.

Hybrid Dynamics Closes Acquisition of Luxury Motorcycle Maker Delaware American Motors

AMERICAN FORK, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hybrid Dynamics Corporation (“Hybrid”) (OTCBB:HBDY) today announced that it has acquired Delaware American Motors, Inc. ("Delaware American” or “DAM”) in an all-stock transaction upon the issuance of 4,500,000 shares of Hybrid common stock. Delaware American is a high-end, high performance motorcycle brand whose foundation is based on innovative design, quality craftsmanship, advanced engineering and custom assembly.

Delaware American’s first series will be the “Tech Twin American,” a limited edition series corresponding to America’s original 13 colonies. The Company anticipates unveiling two production models at S&S Cycle, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, during S&S’ 50th anniversary celebration June 27-29, along with some of the best-known custom bike builders in the world as they come together to compete in the S&S “50 builder/50 bike” build-off.

Since 2002, DAM’s mission has been to create the ultimate experience for its riders, one that combines professional racing quality with the comfort and luxury of high-end touring bikes. Even amidst the economic slowdown, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal Online on March 26th alluded to the fact that “powerful, opulent, feature-laden machines” are still in great demand. Delaware American has already built custom bikes for some of the world’s most notable riders and continues to build brand awareness as one of the country’s premier custom motorcycle manufacturers.

Delaware American’s “Thirteen Colonies” series will be followed by an additional American-based signature series with total production expected to exceed 100 bikes in 2009. For more information on Delaware American Motors, please visit www.dammotorcycles.com.

Commenting on officially bringing DAM into the Hybrid Dynamics family, Paul Ressler, President of Hybrid Dynamics, said, “DAM brings world class design and prototyping to Hybrid. Their expertise in building high-end, performance bikes will help Hybrid Dynamics to solidify its position as a manufacturer of premium products.”

About Hybrid Dynamics Corporation

Hybrid Dynamics is implementing a new operational paradigm for transportation vehicles. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pukka USA, Inc., the Company is developing a state-of-the-art line of recreational electric vehicles, as well as leading-edge motor-control systems and hybrid drive-train technologies for use in electric and hybrid motorized vehicles. These technologies feature Hybrid’s proprietary Extended Range Technology (ERT), which utilizes three discreet drive motors (hydraulic, electric, and internal combustion engine) in a hierarchical relationship. ERT allows each motor to perform the task for which it is best equipped, the net result being a more efficient vehicle design, extended range and far less emissions than internal combustion alone. For more information on the Company, please visit www.hybriddynamics.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” relating to the business of Hybrid and its subsidiary companies, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes," "expects” or similar expressions. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including all business uncertainties relating to product development, marketing, and concentration in a single customer, raw material costs, market acceptance, future capital requirements, and competition in general and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hybrid is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Civic Hybrid Gets Great Mileage

After testing sprawling sedans and lumbering SUVs, it was nice to slip into my Honda Civic Hybrid test car. Wearing a somber Magnetic Pearl, it called no attention to itself as I slithered in and out of traffic on my daily commute. And, despite its smaller size and lower profile, I felt comfortable peering through the stretched-out windshield and over the Civic’s unique and colorful two-level instrument panel.

The original Civic was born in the early 1970s during the gas crises of that era (“Oh my god — gas is up to 60 cents a gallon!”).

Over the years, the Civic has grown from a tiny hatchback to a compact sedan, today — big enough for a family of four. With a spacious and futuristic redesign in 2006, it became the ideal car for a large proportion of the population. Any Civic, from the basic DX to the upper-level EX to the sporty Si, is already a responsible ride.

However, while the standard Civic now has a 1.8-liter, 140- horsepower four under its hood, Honda tucked its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology into its Hybrid. The IMA system mates a 1.3-liter gas engine with a 20-horsepower electric motor sandwiched in between the engine and transmission for a total of 110 horsepower and 123 lb.- ft. of torque.

The gas engine does the lion’s share of the work, with assistance from the electric motor during acceleration and whenever it’s needed. The electric motor also works to regenerate electricity for the car’s compact nickel-metal hydride battery pack during braking. The continuously variable automatic transmission — used only in the Hybrid — selects the best ratio for economy or power as needed.

The Hybrid drives much like any other Civic. You will notice that the gas engine shuts off at most stops, immediately jumping back to life when you take your foot off the brake. Also, the IMA system can shut down the four cylinders of the gas engine when cruising or while the motor is regenerating electricity.

Per the EPA, the Civic Hybrid is the second best green car — just below the Toyota Prius. Official fuel mileage is 40 City, 45 Highway to the Prius’ 48/45. This variation is likely due to the Prius’ greater ability to drive with the gas engine off; but, in real life, it’s not a significant difference. I averaged 35.1 mpg during my test week — far better than any other car I’ve tested — except for the Prius.

Interestingly, I earned an even 38.0 mpg two years ago in a 2006 model under similar conditions. There is significant variability depending on road type and whether the way is hilly or flat. I took a trip to Monterey during both the 2006 and 2008 tests. I got 41.6 mpg on this year’s trip — but 43.0 mpg last time. I think I drove at a higher speed this year.

With a hybrid car, you learn that everything you do makes a difference in your mileage. The IMA gauges let you see if you’re using electric power or generating it and you can check your current and accumulated miles per gallon. Careful monitoring and reasonable driving — no quick starts or excessive speed — can up your fuel economy score.

Being a Civic, the Hybrid contains all the built-in goodness of the line. That includes the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, a plethora of airbags, and active front seat head restraints for safety. You get anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake distribution. This means the braking system gives you more control and more braking power when and where you need it.

It’s hard to find fault with a Honda. The plastic steering wheel feels a little sticky and the hard sun visor doesn’t cover much of the side window, but that’s really trivial considering the benefits of Civic ownership.

The Hybrid model is well equipped, much like the EX Civic line, so a price comparison is reasonable. The EX sedan, with a navigation system and XM Satellite Radio and automatic transmission, costs $21,895. The Hybrid runs $24,985. For reference, the most basic Civic DX sedan with manual transmission starts at $15,645.

You do get big advantages with the Hybrid for that $3,090 price premium. EPA fuel economy numbers of 40/45 beat the 25/36 of other automaticequipped Civics. And, the EPA Green Vehicle scores of 9.5 for Air Pollution and a perfect 10.0 for Greenhouse Gases are significantly better than the otherwise good 7 and 8 earned by the rest of the Civic family. With gas prices at $4.00 a gallon and likely rising, it might not take that long to make up the initial cost difference. And, you can feel good that your car has a tiny carbon footprint.