45 Useful Tips On and Off The Road
November 15, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving News
1. Before getting into your car, ask yourself "Is this trip necessary?"!
2. On short trips, try walking or bicycling. It’s good exercise.
3. Consider car-pooling and share the gas bill and ride.
4. Always use the shortest route and avoid sightseeing trips and bottlenecks.
5. Organize activities and perform as many errands as possible in one trip.
6. If possible, avoid driving during rush-hour & other peak traffic periods.
7. When bargain hunting, check newspaper ads and use your telephone.
8. Do they deliver? Let them pay for the gas! Try mail order firms, too.
9. Make a list and do all the grocery shopping once or twice a week.
10. Let the kids run some of the errands. Let them walk to school, too.
11. Public transportation may be cheaper, especially when traveling alone.
12. Pack as little in your car as necessary so it has less weight to carry.
13. Shop around for service stations with the lowest gasoline prices.
14. Check to see if there are "self service" gas stations in your area.
15. Don’t speed. Cars get about 21% more mileage at 55 mph then at 70 mph.
16. Better planning reduces the need for speeding, to get there in time.
17. When starting your car, don’t idle it for more than 30 seconds, even in cold weather. Today’s cars are designed to be driven almost immediately.
18. If you must stop for more than 30 seconds, don’t idle your car. The engine is more fuel efficient if your turn it off and restart it.
19. Drive evenly with a steady foot. Avoid jiggling the accelerator.
20. Keep tires properly inflated at all times. (Check pressure when cold).
21. Use air conditioning only when necessary. Try opening the window.
22. Avoid "jackrabbit" starts. When starting, press accelerator slowly.
23. Avoid panic stops. When possible, coast to stops such as traffic lights.
24. Remove items that cause wind resistance, such as luggage racks.
25. Don’t forget to release the emergency brake before pulling away.
26. Never rev engine before killing it. This wastes gas, wears out cylinders.
27. Keep tuned to radio traffic reports & avoid traffic jams, other delays.
28. Make certain your gas cap fits properly.
29. Use the lowest octane gas that won’t make your engine knock.
30. Use only your right foot for accelerating and braking. That way you can’t accidentally ride the brake and use excessive gas.
31. Shift into high gear as soon as possible. If you have automatic transmission, lift your foot from the accelerator about one second early.
32. Pass other cars as soon as you see you are overtaking them. Don’t wait.
33. Keep your car properly tuned for top fuel efficiency.
34. Keep brakes properly adjusted. Dragging brakes increases resistance.
35. Operate as small a car as possible for your driving needs. (Small cars weighing half as much as large cars use about half as much gasoline!)
36. Avoid cars with gas-consuming options such as air conditioning; power equipment such as window, etc: automatic transmission, etc.
37. In hot climates, drive a car with light colored exterior and interior, to reflect light, heat. Tinted glass also prevents heat buildup.
38. Use radial tires for less friction between tire and road.
39. When driving, keep your eyes moving and your feet still!
40. Keep your steering wheel still too. The more you weave back and forth, the farther your car has to travel and the more gas is consumed.
41. Don’t overfill your gas tank. It could leak or spill in heat or on a hill.
42. Use snow tires and/or chains as little as necessary because they make your car work harder and use more gasoline.
43. When you see a hill ahead, build up speed before you reach it, then maintain your speed on the slope. (If you must accelerate on the hill, you will use much more fuel). Then coast down the other side.
44. Keep wheels aligned for better mileage - Longer tire life, too.
45. Record all gas purchases for tax deduction purposes.
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One Car Policy
November 6, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving News
It is not easy to fill up the gas. The price is up, so the amount of gasoline you can afford is going down. There is an average one car per family. However, most families have more than one children and so that makes about two to three cars per family.
If one car is difficult enough to maintain, why bother to have more cars? Not only fuel problem you will be facing but there is the maintenance you need to figure and not including the pollution you will be contributing to the nature.
Why not make it a one-car policy for every family? It might sounds hard to achieve but rather than not having a car, this might be a better option.
There is no need to increase the number of cars on the road because there are so many cars and one day you will be able to arrange all the cars on the road and yet there is not enough space to line up every car around the world.
Pollution is getting worse day by day due to the emission of the gas from the cars, factories and power plants. Do we need to kill ourselves and our younger generations?
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Mahindra FuelSmart System
October 23, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving Products
Mahindra has launched two new series - Scorpio and Bolero with Fuel Smart System and Micro Hybrid Technology. What is so special about this system anyway?
The Mahindra FuelSmart system with Micro Hybrid technology switches off the vehicle’s engine after it has come to a complete halt. For example, if the vehicle comes to a halt at a traffic signal and is in neutral, the engine will shut down automatically after 10 seconds.
Just before stopping, the indicator light located in the instrument cluster will blink, indicating that the engine is going to stop shortly. Once the signal turns green and the driver presses the clutch pedal, the engine starts immediately for continuing the journey.
Apart from being fuel efficient, the engine is switched off during traffic signals / traffic jams so the release of a considerable amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is avoided. This mitigates the adverse effects of global warming, thus helping to provide us with a cleaner environment to live in.
The system is also able to detect any battery problem, safety issues and even temperature of the engine. All these are to make sure your vehicle is safe for use and to inform you should there be a need for maintenance.
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EPA New Method of Test For Fuel Economy
October 12, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving News
DO you ever wonder how the EPA gets the fuel economy or fuel efficiency numbers for the vehicles in US? Well at least I have thought about it and here is how it is done.
Surprisingly there are two ways, one is the old way and one is the new way. The old way was used before the year 2008 whereas the new way is being used starting from 2008.
What are the differences?
EPA use a dynanometer to measure the fuel economy numbers (i.e. 24 MPG) for both old and new ways. There is no change here.
The only difference between both ways lies in the requirements for the dynanometer. The variables are changable to meet the needs of the road such as in the city or on highway. Then, there are some new requirements for the new hybrids as well (in the new way).
The Old Way
When calculating fuel economy in the city, these are the requirements to be set on the dynanometer:
- Trip length: 11 miles
- Test time: 31 minutes
- Number of stops: 23
- Time spent idling: approx. 18%
- Maximum speed: 56 MPH
- Average speed: 20 MPH
- Engine temp at startup: Cold (75 degrees outside air temperature)
However, when calculating the fuel economy for highway, these are the requirements:
- Trip length: 10 miles
- Test time: 12.5 minutes
- Number of stops: None
- Time spent idling: None
The New Way
When calculating the fuel economy using the new way, there are some changes such as:
- Higher speeds - up to 80 MPH on the highway cycle
- Colder temperatures - tests will now start at 20 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 75
- More rapid acceleration
- Use of accessories - the air conditioner will be operated 13% of the time
With the use of new way, there are some effects as well that involves dropping city fuel economy estimates by 10% to 20%, with hybrids taking the highest percentage. Highway estimates will drop by around 5% to 15%.
Bear in mind that the new way only applies for new cars produced in 2008 and above. You will see that the hybrids are way ahead than conventional cars and perhaps it is time to switch to hybrids for a cleaner air and healthier environment.
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Fuel Efficient Car Series - Ford Focus
October 11, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving Products
This is the first part of the Fuel Efficient Car Series to introduce some of the autos that can help to save fuel because of their fuel efficiency. In this part we will talk about Ford Focus, a car known to many because it is very popular among the US residents.
This is perhaps the most important information we need to know before we proceed:
EPA fuel economy 24 MPG city, 33-35 MPG highway.
Yes, it is correct. 24 MPG in the city and 33-35 MPG on highway. That is quite a high figure right so of course it will help to save some precious fuel (and money along the way).
Below is the specifications for Ford Focus:
- Body style: 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan
- Seating capacity: 5
- Trim levels: S, SE, SES
- Price range (including options): $14,695 - $21,300
- Test car model/price: Focus SES sedan, $19,210
- Base engine: 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder, 140 hp @ 6000 RPM, 136 lb-ft @ 4250 RPM
- Optional engine: PZEV-compliant 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder, 132 hp @ 6000 RPM, 133 lb-ft @ 4250 RPM
- Premium fuel required? No
- Transmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
- Driveline: Front engine, front-wheel-drive
- EPA fuel economy estimates: 24 MPG city/35 MPG highway (manual), 24/33 (automatic)
- Where built: United States
- Standard safety equipment: Front airbags, front-seat-mounted side (torso) airbags, two-row side curtain airbags, tire pressure monitoring system
- Optional safety equipment: Antilock brakes, traction control
- Major standard features: Air conditioning, CD/MP3 player
- Major options: Power windows, locks and mirrors, upgraded interior trim, leather seats, alloy wheels, colored interior lighting, Sync media player and Bluetooth phone integration
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain, 5 years/unlimited mileage outer body rust-through
- Roadside assistance/free maintenance: 5 years/60,000 miles roadside assistance
I would say that this car is suitable for those who are looking for an affordable car, fun to drive and a fuel efficient car. You don’t have to spend so much on maintenance for Ford Focus because it is one of the cars with the lowest maintenance cost.
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The Most Efficient Car of 2008
October 8, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving Products
Hybrids are leading in the efficient car list of 2008. Hybrid cars such Toyota Prius is making its way up as the number one most efficient car in 2008. Toyota Prius has a surprising mileage number of 46. Other cars included in the list are:
1. Nissan Altima Hybrid
2. Toyota Camry Hybrid
3. Two-wheel-drive Ford Escape Hybrid
The 2008 fuel economy figures for hybrids are about 20 percent lower than last year’s numbers, based on new testing procedures designed to better reflect real-world driving conditions, such as high-speed driving, use of air conditioning, and cold weather.
There are two cars that are non hybrids that make it to the list. They are:
1. Toyota Yaris
2. Toyota Corolla
Some say that hybrid cars are often being exaggerated for having the highest mileage number. However, some diesel powered cars such as Mercedes E320 Bluetec, was rated at 23 in the city and 32 on the highway—well below the most efficient hybrids.
Therefore, hybrid cars are still on top in the list and those who want to buy a new car should consider to get a hybrid car especially the Toyota Prius.
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The Pros and Cons of Ethanol
October 7, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving Tips
Every day the researchers are working hard to find alternative fuel to replace the existing petroleum as there are less petroleum available and soon, we will have to rely on alternative fuel for cars and industrial use.
Ethanol is produced from agriculture so it is a renewable energy unlike the normal petrol. Of course, there are many more benefits that will help to save the environment as normal petrol destroys our planet faster. Below are the benefits of using ethanol as fuel.
1. Since ethanol is produced from agriculture, it is renewable unlike petroleum.
2. Ethanol produce less pollution and reduce smog-forming emissions by almost 50%.
3. Ethanol also produce less green house emissions.
However, there are some disadvantages using ethanol as fuel.
1. Ethanol might be more expensive than the usual gasoline due to the production and location.
2. Ethanol is only available at certain areas especially the Midwest.
3. You cannot drive as far as a gallon of normal gasoline. By using ethanol, you have lower fuel efficiency and you need to constantly refill the fuel especially when you are on a long journey.
Of course, we must applaud the researchers for spending their time researching for renewable fuel and ethanol has the potential to replace the normal gasoline. However, more research is needed and one of the researchs for ethanol involves how to improve the fuel efficiency and save more with ethanol.
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Hybrid Car and Fuel Saving
September 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving News
Hybrid cars are also known as green cars. Green cars release less harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, which is why it is getting more popular among the consumers. Normal cars that run on petrol has a higher emission of carbon dioxide thus increase the carbon footprint on Earth and pollution.
Hybrid cars have many advantages. Even though hybrid cars can be slightly more expensive other cars, the benefits are more satifying in long terms. Not only there is saving from many aspects, but the most important is that you get to save the environment. By purchasing green cars such as cars that run on electricity will reduce the carbon footprint on Earth and help to conserve the nature.
Other benefits of purchasing a hybrid car include road tax deduction and less fuel tax. These are the rules imposed in UK. For example, if you have a hybrid car that has low emission of not more than 100g/km, you don’t even have to pay road tax. If your car runs on electricity, you don’t even have to pay for fuel tax. These are the benefits of having a hybrid car in UK.
To save more money, it is best to invest in a hybrid car so that you get to save more money in long terms and not short terms. Help to save the environment for a better future.
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How To Reduce Fuel Consumption Up to 75%
September 20, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving Tips
This is interesting. According to LowTechMagazine, we can reduce the fuel consumption by a huge percentage of 75% if we cut half of the average speed. I think that this is by far the best news we have heard about ways to save fuel and save money. However, what is the science behind this statement?
The answer is simple. A quote from them will give a general idea of how this works:
"Engineers treat velocity as a non-variable, while in fact it is the most powerful factor to save a really huge amount of energy - with just one stroke, at minimal cost, and without the need for new technology. Lower speeds combined with more energy efficient engines, better aerodynamics and lighter materials could make fuel savings even larger."
So, as long as you keep your speed low, you will be able to save more fuel.
Here is another statement about how speed can use up more fuel:
"The fastest car in the world reaches 10 times the speed of a normal vehicle cruising the highway, but it consumes 550 times more fuel."
Now that you have know the secret, hopefully you can implement this step in your driving style so you can save more fuel, save more money and save the environment. It is a three-in-one package for all.
For more details about it, check out LowTechMagazine.
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Does The Fuel Price Determine How Many Times You Fill Up Your Tank?
September 3, 2008 by admin
Filed under Gas Saving News
Do you fill your tank according to the price of fuel or according to your needs? Apparently some people fill their tanks often when the fuel price is low while others fill their tanks whenever the need to use fuel.
I am sure that people are relieved when the fuel prices are dropping recently with no more than $4/gallon. However, how do you define your fuel consumption. Do you think that if the price remains higher than you would have use your car lesser? Or if the price is low, then you can drive around more often?
Most people might think that there is no harm to drive more when the fuel is cheap because they can afford to pay for it, but then again think about the environment.
Most people are trying to reduce the carbon footprint on Earth but there are some people just don’t care about it and keep on increasing the carbon footprint. These people really need to be educated about the Earth and the impact of driving more on Earth.
While fuel price reduction seems to be a happy news but use car moderately, only when you really need it. You don’t have to drive one kilometre to have your grocery shopping. You can try walking or even cycling.
Let’s keep our Earth alive and strong. There is no need to drive when there are other options.
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