Vehicle Fuel Economy
Introduction
Fuel economy refers to how many miles per gallon of spent fuel your vehicle can drive. Commonly referred as MPG (miles per gallon) the more fuel efficient vehicles burn less fuel therefore increasing MPG rating.
When talking about the fuel economy many people think about the size of engine, proper maintenance of the internal combustion components etc. This process is cumulatively referred as a vehicle fuel efficiency and is only one part of the overall fuel economy strategy.
Fuel Economy Explained
The fuel efficiency is one part of the fuel economy. Larger engines, 4x4 vehicles, etc. consume more fuel than smaller and compact vehicles. The electric and hybrid electric vehicles are most fuel efficient vehicles. The size of engine is directly proportionate to the fuel consumption and vehicle fuel efficiency (MPG).
The maintenance of your vehicle also will affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicle regardless of the size or type of engine.Small and inexpensive items such as air and fuel filter make big difference in how much fuel your vehicle will consume. By maintaining the air and fuel filter and doing regular oil changes you can easily cut down on fuel consumption by 10-15% or higher. Driving with underinflated tires or mismatched tires (different pattern or thread depth, etc.) will cause your vehicle to consume on average 5% more fuel than driving the same vehicle with properly inflated tires.
US Environmental Protection Agency came up with an excellent article everyone should read. It outlines the 4-point plan that can significantly save on fuel consumption of the vehicle. While some of those steps mean switching to more fuel efficient vehicle (does not work if you already own the vehicle and do not intend to trade it for more fuel efficient vehicle), the other three steps can be implemented by everyone regardless what vehicle you drive.
The address to the document is:http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/drive.shtml
Changing Your Driving Style
As discussed in the article published by EPA choosing more fuel efficient vehicle and properly maintaining your vehicle, are important elements in improving the fuel economy of your vehicle.
The second important component of the fuel economy improvement process has nothing to do with the vehicle and engine size but rather with the particular driving style and habits we develop while driving
- Sudden acceleration, deceleration, braking, erratic driving, driving to slow, speeding etc. will all decrease the fuel economy of your vehicle even if you drive the most fuel efficient model available on the market Excessive idling will also reduce the fuel economy of your vehicle. Idling vehicle will consume far more fuel than the properly driven vehicle. In many jurisdictions it is illegal to idle your vehicle for more than necessary. Some exemptions are given when the temperature and extreme cold weather require longer time for vehicle to warm up and reach operating temperature.
- Poor planning. More miles you drive more fuel you will consume. Properly planning and combining your trips will save on the volume of fuel consumed. There are many tools now available to help you properly plan your trip. Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) is one such tool that will help you plan the most efficient route for your trip.Additionally, even the most inexpensive GPS nowadays will help you navigate more efficiently especially if you are driving in the region you are not familiar
-Carpooling and utilizing the public transportation will reduce the number of miles driven therefore reducing the volume of fuel spent. Last but not the least, avoid using your vehicle for any trip you make. Short five minute drive to the corner convenience store could be instead substituted with a walk. This way not only will you save on gas, but you will also benefit from the exercise your body receives from implementing this new habit. It may not appear that the short five minute drive will take a lot of fuel, but combined through the year it will help greatly.
Conclusion
As discussed the fuel economy does not mean just selecting the most fuel efficient vehicle. Large and fuel inefficient vehicles, poorly maintained vehicles as well as bad drivers, unnecessary short trips etc. all reduce the fuel economy thereby consuming more fuel per mile travelled.
Improving fuel economy involves changing not only what we drive but also how we drive.
