Forget Hybrids: Just Drive Like Your Grandma

Driving like a grandma can save more gas than fancy hybrid technology, Jeffrey Ball writes in the Wall Street Journal. Accelerating slowly, shifting gears early, and coasting to avoid stop-and-go driving can bump gas efficiency of even the largest gas guzzlers. The catch? "I've been honked at. I've been flipped off. I've been yelled at: 'Grandma,'" says one so-called eco-driver.

Americans "love the open throttle as much as the open road," Ball writes. But with the rising fuel costs, eco-driving is gaining ground. Training schools and driving gauges are emerging. Nissan plans to introduce an eco-pedal in the US market that pushes back against aggressive drivers. But "not every driver likes to be an eco-driver," says a company rep, so the feature will be optional.

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