Driving gently can lower your gas use by up to 33% on the highway and 5% in the city, according to the Department of Energy. Fast accelerations, high speeds, and abrupt stops waste energy.
A special report on 247wallst.com by Liz Blossom points out that "the optimal highway speed for gas mileage is 50 mph; after that, your gas mileage drops quickly." In addition, "fast accelerations and abrupt stops waste energy. By driving gently you can lower your gas mileage by up to 33% on the highway and 5% in the city, according to the Department of Energy. Don’t idle your car, especially while running the air conditioner. In the winter, give your car only 30 seconds to warm up — it will warm up quickly when you start driving. Regular maintenance will help your car run at top efficiency — fixing serious maintenance problems can improve mileage by up to 40%."*
Other driving strategies that improve your gas mileage include avoiding engine idling (turn off the car if it’s going to be more than 30 seconds) and jack-rabbit starts. Read the traffic, signs, and lights in order to minimize the wasted energy in braking. Maintenance tips include keeping tires properly inflated (each 2.5 psi of tire inflation improves fuel economy by 1%), choosing “low rolling resistance” tires, which improve fuel economy close to 3% relative to standard replacement tires, and minimizing excess weight (1-2% mpg improvement per 100 lbs. of reduced weight).
*Liz Blossom, January 8, 2020, "30 ways to make your life more environmentally friendly," 247wallst.com
Photo by Susan O'Donnell
A special report on 247wallst.com by Liz Blossom points out that "the optimal highway speed for gas mileage is 50 mph; after that, your gas mileage drops quickly." In addition, "fast accelerations and abrupt stops waste energy. By driving gently you can lower your gas mileage by up to 33% on the highway and 5% in the city, according to the Department of Energy. Don’t idle your car, especially while running the air conditioner. In the winter, give your car only 30 seconds to warm up — it will warm up quickly when you start driving. Regular maintenance will help your car run at top efficiency — fixing serious maintenance problems can improve mileage by up to 40%."*
Other driving strategies that improve your gas mileage include avoiding engine idling (turn off the car if it’s going to be more than 30 seconds) and jack-rabbit starts. Read the traffic, signs, and lights in order to minimize the wasted energy in braking. Maintenance tips include keeping tires properly inflated (each 2.5 psi of tire inflation improves fuel economy by 1%), choosing “low rolling resistance” tires, which improve fuel economy close to 3% relative to standard replacement tires, and minimizing excess weight (1-2% mpg improvement per 100 lbs. of reduced weight).
*Liz Blossom, January 8, 2020, "30 ways to make your life more environmentally friendly," 247wallst.com
Photo by Susan O'Donnell
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