Wayne Gerdes once drove 3,627 kilometres on a single tank of gas.

The elder statesman of a group of fuel misers known as hypermilers, Gerdes is obsessed with fuel consumption. He is driven, so to speak, by the urge to go farther, for less.

Before Gerdes even sets foot in a car, he's planning his route to avoid red lights and stop signs, checking that his synthetic oil is clean and fresh, that his tire pressure is at the maximum and that the car is empty of unnecessary cargo and stripped of extraneous items.

As a result, the Illinois resident has set world records (including Hybridfest's illustrious Most Fuel-Efficient Driver in the World) and routinely achieves twice the fuel consumption rate set by the manufacturer of the Honda Insight.

He also coined the word "hypermiling" -- a term which has come to define a group of people willing to take extreme measures, and sometimes risks -- to stretch every litre of fuel as far as it will possibly go.

The popularity of the movement, he says, seems to be increasing along with the price-per-litre at your local service station.

"It's not surprising. It's mostly common sense," he tells CTV.ca from his home in Wadsworth, Ill. "Hypermiling can be done by everyone."

Way of life

At the entry level, hypermiling is mostly about conservation, responsible driving and common sense. Simple fuel-saving measures, such as removing the junk that accumulates in your trunk, following the speed limit and ensuring proper tire pressure are among the Ten Commandments of those who adhere to the penny-pinching religion.

But for the truly devout followers of the fuel-saving faith, it becomes much more serious than that.

Some will do almost anything to increase their mileage, often motivated by the digital dashboard gauges in hybrid cars that constantly monitor the rate at which they are burning fuel.

For Gerdes, who once got about 322 kilometres from a single gallon of gas, it's a way of life.

He first became interested in reducing his fuel consumption after 9/11 when he first realized how dependent the U.S. is on oil.

Gerdes mapped out a typical 10-kilometre, suburban-to-urban trip from his home, systematically going through the steps he would follow to complete the trip, using only about 3.5 minutes of engine time, with about 9.5 minutes of coasting or engine shut-off time to achieve about 128 kilometres to the gallon in a car rated for 64.

It's a precise, premeditated art where every downhill is taken advantage of, every uphill is avoided or planned for, and everything possible is done to avoid stopping unnecessarily.

When Gerdes is forced to stop, he plans it far in advance, shutting off the motor to glide to a standstill without the use of brakes whenever possible.

And at most red lights he turns the engine off until he's ready to pull away.

• Read Gerdes' Top Five tips for aspiring hypermilers here

Gerdes admits his cautious, non-hurried style often triggers road rage among other drivers -- something all hypermilers have to face at one time or another.

"When you travel the speed limit, it doesn't matter if there's one lane, two lanes, five lanes -- somebody thinks their time is more important than mine or any other hypermiler's," he says.

One of the most controversial methods of hypermiling -- and one that Gerdes strongly disapproves of -- is known as drafting.

Risky business?

Gerdes doesn't even like talking about it, but Jason Toews, co-founder of Torontogasprices.com and Gasbuddy.com, shed some light on the dangerous practice.

He said drivers tuck in behind transport trucks and piggyback on their momentum, carried along by the slipstream generated by the larger vehicle and capitalizing on the reduced wind resistance.

"If you're tailgating or driving really close, especially to a semi-truck, there would be much less air resistance. Of course it's not safe to do that but your fuel economy would go through the roof," Toews tells CTV.ca.

The inherent dangers with this technique are pretty obvious. You could die -- easily. And there are plenty of websites and blog postings slamming hypermilers for putting other drivers at risk with their penny-pinching road manners.

"Ridge riding" is also on the list of often criticized, but fuel-effective measures. The theory is that most roadways have tire grooves worn into them, and when drivers are in those grooves, more of their tires are touching the asphalt, thereby increasing resistance.

But by staying close to the shoulder, and keeping one set of wheels on the white line, resistance is reduced and mileage increases.

For the same reason, many hypermilers inflate their tires far above the maximum rated pressure. This makes for a rough ride and increases the risk of blowouts, but just like ridge-riding, it puts less tire on the road and thereby increases fuel mileage.

Many drivers are also using low-weight oil in an attempt to reduce engine friction, and there are even reports of diesel drivers using vegetable oil in their motors. But in hot climates or at prolonged high speeds, these ultra-thin oils are much more likely to break down and damage the engine.

And it goes without saying that the hard-core hypermilers will remove every unnecessary item from their vehicles -- stripping bug deflectors, roof racks and even interior panelling to reduce weight.

When Gerdes won his title back in 2007, he even took his shoes off.

But the most effective tool is one that most drivers have at the ready -- their right foot.

Just driving more efficiently, and taking common sense measures, is the most effective way for everyday people to save fuel, Gerdes and Toews say.

But no matter how efficient the driver, or how well the vehicle is tuned, the very best form of hypermiling doesn't even involve a car, Gerdes says.

"The best hypermilers are those that walk, bike, or take public transportation," Gerdes says.