There are many different factors that will affect the fuel efficiency of your car. These can include weight, speed, and tailpipe emission standards. However, there are several things that you can do to increase the fuel efficiency of your car.
Speeding
Speeding reduces fuel efficiency, but it also increases your chances of being in an accident. The National Safety Council reports that over 12,000 people died in speed-related crashes in 2008. Those accidents cost the US over $40 billion each year. Besides costing lives, speeding is a major cause of property damage and medical expenses.
Using cruise control can help you maintain a steady pace and make you more efficient. In addition, accelerating and decelerating gently can add to your fuel economy.
Speeding can also lead to costly tickets and points on your driving record. These points can drive up your insurance rates. If you receive too many points, your license may be suspended.
Aggressive driving
When a driver speeds or takes other aggressive driving steps, his or her fuel economy can be reduced by as much as 15 to 30 percent, according to a study from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This can add up to a loss of $0.25 to $1 per gallon.
Fortunately, there are some simple ways to reduce the effects of aggressive driving. Such steps include following the speed limit, using cruise control, and taking care of your vehicle.
In addition, there are technologies that can help drivers improve their fuel efficiency. These include telematics and driver feedback devices.
A telematics solution can tell you if a driver is speeding, accelerating quickly, or idling. It can also show you who is out of place, and who might need to change their habits.
Tailpipe emission standards
Tailpipe emission standards are used to control the amount of air pollution that is emitted from vehicles. They are usually implemented by government ministries responsible for regulating the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of these ministries.
These standards are crucial to combating climate change and improving public health. Tailpipe emissions come from fuel combustion in the engine. When a vehicle is more efficient, it will use fewer fuels and emit fewer greenhouse gases. Typically, a vehicle that is more fuel-efficient will go two times farther on a single tank of gas.
Several states, including California, have adopted state-specific tailpipe emission standards. However, the federal government is still establishing national standards.
Hybrids
Hybrid vehicles improve fuel efficiency by using an electrical motor and battery pack to take the strain off a gasoline engine. It is not uncommon for hybrids to get better gas mileage in the city than on the highway.
If you are considering a hybrid car, make sure you compare the vehicle’s city fuel mileage to its highway mileage. The reason for this is that highway mileage is often higher.
A hybrid car’s city gas mileage can be improved by keeping the tires properly inflated and closing windows. In addition, you should not drive aggressively. You should also avoid sudden stops. This will not only save you gas, but will ensure that the vehicle’s air filter stays clean.
Electric cars
Electric cars improve fuel efficiency in a lot of ways. First, a lot of the time, they are cheaper to buy than conventional vehicles. And second, they can help save the environment. In fact, an EV can save 2 million barrels of gasoline per day!
Electric cars aren’t a cure all, but they can improve air quality and save owners thousands of pounds of carbon pollution over the lifetime of the vehicle. In addition, some car manufacturers are pushing hard to clean up their fleets.
The EPA rates the efficiency of different types of vehicles, from a hybrid to a plug-in hybrid. The most efficient vehicles are the ones that are able to convert the most energy into usable power.
