6 Driving Tactics to Save Gas This Summer

Brake Specific Fuel Consumption graphs are different from one type of car to the other. As it is a map of engine + transmission + tires. Responsible manufacturers try to make it optimum to how 'normal' people would drive. It would be best that each of them would declassify these graphs and make it available to the general public.

1) The distance that a vehicle can coasting to a
stop increased by using low rolling resistant tires
or inflating the tires to their maximum sidewall
pressure rating. For example, on a 2010 Toyota Prius
one can safely increasing the the tire pressure
from the manufacture's setting of front 35 psi,
rear 33 psi on the stock OEM Yokohama Avid S33
tires to front 44psi rear 42 psi. The results is
about a 5mpg to 10 mpg improvement depending on
how aggressively one is coasting to a stop.
2) For a flat road surface, accelerating at
about 4 miles per second ( 0-20 mph in 5 seconds,
0-40 mph in 10 seconds ) is about the optimum
energy efficiency for most internal combustion \
engines on a flat road surface - on a downhill
road surface the optimum acceleration is faster
and on a short slight uphill road surface it is
slower. On longer steeper uphill road
surfaces it is often energy efficient for
the gasoline engine to stay in the lower gears. On a
flat road, fuel efficiency is better if the top speed
(kinetic energy) achieved by acceleration is
maintained(not lost) for a very long time/distance.
For CVT, the computer will always transmit
the power of the gasoline engine at the most fuel
efficent manner. Gallons per hour vs distance is a
better FE measurment than mph vs seconds -
which is possible if you have a ScangaugeII.
With respect to geared transmissions, switching to the
highest gear ratio as soon as possible will
make get the car into the fastest speed possible
at the lowest energy usage but only if the
vehicle does not need to stop for the next 10
minutes - if the vehicle must stop then
kinetic energy used will be loss due excessive
energy used to accelerate to that top speed.
3. The fuel efficiency for vehicles which depend on
their aerodyanamic properties are more sensitive
to having the windows open and creating drag. The
fuel efficiency of 2010 Toyota Prius with a
coefficient of 0.25 is very sensitive to drag caused
by having the windows open and its fuel efficiency
seems begin to drop when the windows are open/down
at speed as low as 40 mph. ISTM at speeds 45 mph or
greater, it probably better to have the AC on than
to use the AC on the 2010 Prius.
4 All vehicles are the most fuel efficient when
drag from the wind is minimal which is from 30 mph
to 40 mph. The loss in fuel efficiency is about
10 to 20 percent when the speed increases to 55mph
and 30 to 40 percent when you go 65 mph - depending
on how aerodynamic the vehicle is. For example,
a 2010 Prius with an aerodynamic coefficient of
0.25 gets about 75 mpg when driven about 30 mph,
about 65 mpg when driven about 50 mph, about 58 mpg
at about 65 mph, and about 50 mph at about 70 mph.
The aerodynamics of a pickup trucks can be improved
by putting the tailgate down OR covering up the flatbed
with a tonneau.
5. Pickup speed before coming to the bottom of hill,
add 10 to 15 mph to your velocity before climbing
the hill. On the way to the top of the hill allow
the vehicle to decelerate by 10 to 15 mph - gradually
sacraficing the extra speed as the vehicle climbs
the hill.
Warm up the Engine - warming up the engine without moving
it forward lower fuel efficiency. For non highway summer
time driving trips, as long as any stop is not longer
than 10 minutes there is little penalty for warming up the
engine ( the stopping penalty is purely the loss of
kinetic energy). In highway driving, the ICE reaches its
optimum warmup temperature much sooner than non-highway
driving and as long as the vehicle is driven over 30
minutes per trip the warmup cost is minumal. In non
highway(<45 mph) driving winter (<40 F) driving
- the warm up cost can be significant, covering up the
vehicles air intake can increase the vehicles thermal
energy efficiency

I have been told, albeit quite a few years ago, that the fluid pump in most automatic transmissions is driven from the engine side. If the transmission is in neutral and the car is drifting down a hill with the engine near idle RPM, the pump is not turning fast enough and bearings and parts inside the transmission are starved for lubrication and cooling? Mechanical suicide. With the transmission in 'drive,' fluid flow stays in balance.

...Most of our Fuel Consumption problems are because of Young Drivers who dont have anything better to do,{especially in Summer months when not in School,...and not working}butRun the Wheels off their Graduation Presents while Mom and Dad are at Work to pay for the Gas.....Has anyone paid attention to Gas Prices during the Months after Graduation....HMMMM????

...Its the Teen Drivers, and those Aliens just getting their first License to Drive that arenot adequately receiving the Education they need before getting their Licenses....Nomore Drivers Ed. in Schools leaves it up to Parents, Relatives, Friend to "Teach" those,...but usually those doin the "Teaching" have driven for years with Bad Habits themselves...Why do you think most Auto Accidents involve Young Drivers,...and Why do you think Auto Insurance is so rediculously Expensive....HMMMMM??????

i dont knw how true is that will have to find out on the new beemer

who cares i bought a prius last year and get 42 to 53 mpg. i just went out of town yesterday on a 280 mile round trip and got 44.3 mpg for the trip my cruise was set at 75 mph. cars can get great milage but here in the us car companies are paid by the oil companies not to make cars with high mpg

I think that someone should come up with a way of powering a car without using gas or electricity ( using elec is still using our natural resources). Years ago we use to power trains with steam, yes it was dangerous but with todays know hows we should be able to come up with a safe way to power a car with water/steam. I think that we have the knowldge to do this, but the people who truly run this country have blocked it. There would be no money in it if we just ran on water!

Like anything else in life, take the plus out of the article and get rid of the negative. Reading this is great for teens and new drivers. When we first start, we think that all we have to do is turn the key and go! It is a little more involved than that!

i disagree with cruising at lower speeds. i think its more towards the output of the engine. based from my driving experiences fuel consumption is lower when the engine output is lower. it is easier to coast around a certain speed range. for my car its most efficient around 70-80mph. i wonder why...

I can 't wait until our oil resources drys out so we all ride Dunkies or Camels, buy yours now and save money

Fuel consumption are determine by almost four factor, like, technical condition of the vehicles,weather, road conditions, and driver's driving habit.

My 1981 VW Pickup Truck Diesel runs on soy from a local grower. Over 800,000 miles, fuel is super efficient. His name is Oscar and I love him. My cost 51 Cents a gallon.

ok i like it

End ethanol subsidies.

Thanks for the tips and comments, it's true people, not taking car of your car and not giving attention to those warning lights have cost me dearly; now i give more attention to my car, because i worry about all that money i have lost by not maintaining my vehicle.

Avoid people. Crowded roads with chronic lane changers and cell phone junkies interrupt my attempts at maintaining a constant gas conserving speed. Try coasting to a stop in L.A. Three cars will jump into your lane before the signal.

your have some stupid ideas, am going to drive safely and not follow your stupid rules

I read somewhere that if you keep your gas above a half tank at all times you get better gas milage. I try to do this as much as possible and it works. The more air in the tank the faster the gas will burn. Try it. set your gage at fillup and see how manys miles you get compared to only a half a tank. I can drive to SC on only three fill ups using this method or If i let it get near empty it takes two and a half complete fill ups. saves about $50.

I Hope the day is near when we drive hydrogen cars.