Much ado has been made of hypermiling and related activity - yet the easiest, by far, method of reducing fuel usage is by not driving solo. So, for the hybrid fan-atics, what's the highest PMPG - multiply the achieved MPG by the number of passenger-miles driven.

With that as a standard, a 5 person carpool in a minivan achieving 20 MPG will get 100 passenger-miles per gallon. So, how about it? Anyone break 200?

You make an excellent point. A single person (even one with low energy useage) can't compete against larger groups of people living together and driving together.

OTOH a hypermiler can make it to the midpoint of your survey, easily.

The problem with carpools is that you are generally driving more miles to pick up people who are out of the way from your normal commuting route, and having to depend on everyone to have their act together or face being late for work....

True enough - that's the fundamental problem with 'teamwork'. The other big issue (at least for some of us) is that @#*(@$$ 5PM to 9 PM meeting called at the last minute by the psycho workaholic boss who wouldn't know a personal life if he kissed her on the behind.

That kind of work life also plays hell on relying on public transit - if the next bus/train to your destination doesn't depart at regular intervals, or if the work issue kept you past the last one, you're SOL.

FWIW, mine PMPG got bumped up by the fact I schlep the kids for a fair percentage of the commute, so the occupancy rate is raised...

Yep, it's never been discussed before.

Anyway, it's sometimes hard to say. Even if you carpool, if you want to be literal about the MPG, until you pick up the first passenger, or after you've dropped them off, you're still in a single vehicle, doing the math seems like more work and requires a well calibrated Scanguage to properly do it, espeically if you're got 3 or more people.

With familes it's a bit easier, but then what about people who are just coming along for no real reason?

Personally, I carpool every week, and I'm the driver when we carpool because my vehicle is the more efficient one, and have done so for years.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

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Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

I take the train to work. Apparently, it takes about a gallon of diesel to move 1000 of us down the tracks a mile. Not only is that 1000 pmpg, but I can snooze without running off the road.

Not just Super White...Super Duper White...

I would expect some of the overloaded trains and busses in India or some gas scooters hauling small families around are up there...