As gas prices soar, a subculture of fuel conscious drivers has emerged

Erik Haltrecht has kept track of every fuel purchase he’s made at the pump since 2003.

He’s not sure what made him become a “hypermiler” – a person who tries to conserve as much gas as possible – but he has a few ideas.

It could be his career as an electrical engineer, his environmental conscience, or his unwillingness to be dependent on foreign oil.

Or perhaps it’s because he and his father tried to build an electric car when he was 18.