Gas mileage is defined as the ratio of distance travelled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel it consumed. This is a growing concern in the transportation industry, affecting automobile makers, fuel companies, various businesses, and even the average consumer. One of the main reason for this focus on gas mileage is the fact that automobiles of every shape and size have become such an integral part of everyday life, and the oil prices are always fluctuating, and if not, remains at an exorbitant level. Everyone is always looking for ways to get more value for every dollar they spend on fuel.
There are many factors that affect the gas mileage of a vehicle. Some of these factors would be related to the vehicle itself. There are different types of cars in the market, and the way they were engineered, as well as the age of the car, will affect how well it uses fuel. Vehicles that are poorly maintained will perform badly in this respect. Some factors relate to the outside environment, such as the temperature, wind, road conditions, level of traffic, and the terrain.
Another factor that leads to how well the vehicle handles gas mileage is how it is driven or generally used. The weight of the cargo a car is carrying, relative to the size and model of the car, will affect drag, thus forcing your car’s engine to work even harder. Quick acceleration, heavy breaking, idling, and using electrical accessories excessively will all affect fuel economy.
Fortunately, there are many ways one would be able to improve their gas mileage. Purchasing a car that is made with a focus on fuel efficiency is one path that can be taken towards improving fuel efficiency. There are already many models by different car manufacturers available, all that needs to be done is choose the best one that fits the need and the budget. If purchasing a second hand car is the only option, it is obviously necessary to take into consideration the model, the mileage, and the condition of the car.
Properly maintaining a vehicle is another way to improve on gas mileage. Small things such as ensuring proper wheel alignment, choosing the correct tire type, maintaining tire pressure, replacing the air filter, and changing the oil have evident effects on how much fuel the car uses, and how long the fuel will last between fill-ups.
The way a person drives will also affect gas mileage. As mentioned earlier, overloading a vehicle could increase drag, so ensuring that the weight of the passengers and the cargo will not weigh down the vehicle significantly is a required step. It is unavoidable in heavy traffic to use the acceleration and the break more often than is advisable. So a rather obvious solution to decrease this is to avoid heavily congested roads as much as possible by planning routes ahead of time, and tuning in on traffic reports. This will also keep the vehicle from idling for too long, which also affects fuel economy.
Planning for tips ahead of time will also ensure that the roads being taken are ideal for the vehicle being used, because poor road conditions would also affect how much fuel is being used. Following the speed limit on roads will not only keep the people in the vehicle safe, but also ensure that they are not consuming more fuel than is needed. Lastly, multiple electronic devices in cars should be used moderately.
Applying the above mentioned changes would lead to improved fuel efficiency, and will eventually translate to lower expenses. There are multiple ways in which one could track just how much money they are able to save; this usually ranges from simple calculations, to applications on smart phones that do the calculations themselves. However, it is stated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that improving on bad driving habits will increase fuel economy by 5% to 33%; observing the speed limit could merit someone a 7% to 14% benefit; removing excess weight could give an increase of 1% to 2% increase per 100 lbs; and avoiding excess idling could save someone $0.01 - $0.03 per minute with the air conditioner on, or $0.02 - $0.04 per minute with the air conditioner off.
There are many ways in which everyone could save fuel, and they truly are not all that complicated or expensive. All they need is the discipline to carry them out.
The team at Meyers Auto Parts are sharing with you.