Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Tips for Improving Gas Mileage

The United States Department of Energy has released an updated report with tips for drivers to reduce the amount of gas they use and drive more efficiently. Here's a summary of the main points so you can implement these small changes and start saving money and fuel:

Drive Sensibly

Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking abruptly waste gas. Driving sensibly can help you improve fuel economy by up to 5% around town, and up to 33% at highway speeds, which can translate into saving anywhere from $0.14 to $0.93 per gallon.

Observe the Speed Limit 

Gas mileage decreases sharply at speeds above 50 mph. In average, each 5 mph you drive over 50 mph are costing you an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Make sure you know the speed at which your vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy so you can take that into consideration as you drive.

Avoid Hauling Cargo on Your Roof

Hauling cargo on your roof increases wind resistance, which results in lower fuel economy. If you use an external cargo container, make sure you remove it when it's not in use to save fuel and money. By doing this, you can increase your fuel economy up to 17% and save from $0.06 to $0.48 per gallon.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unneccessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. In terms of fuel efficiency, this affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones but you should still consider keeping your vehicle as light as possible for daily use.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling can cost you between $0.01 to $0.02 per minute if you don't have the AC on, with the AC on the cost increases. Turn off your engine when your vehicle is parked and avoid waiting inside for long periods of time.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway will maintain your vehicle at constant speed, this will, in most cases, help you save gas.

Ford Fiesta Cruise Control

We hope these tips are very helpful and allow you to increase your car's efficiency so you can spend less money on gas. Some of these tips will also make you a safer driver so you may save more than gas money!