Fuel Efficiency - Hydrogen Car Info

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Fuel Efficiency

When the prices of fuel go up, it is very important to focus on the fuel efficiency of your current vehicle. This fuel efficiency article will give you several tips on how to make your current car as fuel efficient as possible.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas prices are down, some argue because it’s an election year, but odds are they will be on the rise again soon.

Consumers will be challenged once again to overcome their fuel-pump fears.

The inflation of gas prices in recent years have made drivers look at alternative means of transportation, or forsaking a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle for a small economy car.

Hydrogen-powered cars are steadily becoming more of a reality. Mass-production of such vehicles is now a probability, within a decade.

But what are drivers to do between now and whenever their fuel-pump fears can finally subside? The answer: Get serious about improving fuel efficiency in their existing vehicles. Drivers can save money driving what they own now in ways that most have overlooked.

In Europe, they call this fuel awareness activity “ecodriving.” The basics of ecodriving include eliminating braking after speeding, unused equipment in the trunk, and the use of luggage racks on top of the vehicle. These principles can be used anywhere, but saving fuel requires a lot more detail work that must be followed by the driver.

Not including the ecodriving standards (which make sense), here is a list of car-related items, starting with the most obscure remedy for saving fuel:

Exhaust pipe: If ever this needs to be replaced in a vehicle, make sure the recommended size listed in the automobile manual is used. The wrong size can affect a car’s miles-per-gallon, and in turn, its fuel efficiency.
Spark plugs: A car is most efficient with all cylinders working properly with sparkplugs in good condition.
Gears: If driving a standard vehicle, using the right gear in every situation considerably saves fuel consumption. Driving in the highest gear possible, where feasible, optimizes the car’s performance and saves fuel.
Tires: Under inflated tires adversely affect a car’s performance, including its fuel efficiency. Tire pressure readings should be performed weekly. Worn tires also affect fuel efficiency because the vehicle must overcompensate to stay on the road. Eco-friendly tires play an important role in reducing gas consumption. These tires, now featured in most new cars, feature special low rolling resistance technology that can save a car 2-3 miles per gallon for the next 40,000 miles (almost 100 gallons of gas). Make sure your next set of tires have rolling resistance that is low. The resistance relates to how easily a tire rolls down the road, not its grip.
Lube oil: Failing to change the oil every 3,000 miles or three months leads to a decline in engine performance, thereby affecting the car’s fuel efficiency.
Windows: If you are hot, use the car’s air conditioner instead of rolling down the windows. The wind resistance with the windows down greatly reduces the fuel efficiency, more so than having the energy-consuming air conditioner on.
Air filter: The filter should be constantly checked for cleanliness because a dirty filter will decrease the amount of air entering the cylinders. That will lead to incomplete combustion and failed gas efficiency.
Drive smoothly: Don’t try to go from 0 miles per hour to 60 in three seconds, and avoid heavy braking. Driving with the flow and being intelligent about the road ahead will save gas.

In summary, saving fuel does not have to be cumbersome or out of the question for cars presently used by their owners.

Some of these remedies appear to be old wives’ tales or unsatisfactory because many drivers want results now. The bottom line: Enjoy the present lower gas prices while you can, but when the tide turns to higher costs, how will you ride out the storm? Consider this list a flotation device until you overcome your fuel-pump fears.

Thank you to Javier Moralas for this article about Fuel Efficiency

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