How to Use Less Gas & Fuel?

Answer 1

As the cost of gasoline and other automobile fuels continues to rise, fuel efficiency becomes more and more important. Although the purchase of a diesel fueled or hybrid car can immediately generate significant gas savings, a new car may be out of reach for many people. Luckily, drivers can safe significant fuel simply by following a few simple tips, regardless of what they drive. All of the tips are designed to be safe and to prevent a driver from being a nuisance to others.

Maintain the Car

Keeping an engine in correct tune can generate anywhere from a 5 to 20% increase in fuel efficiency. Even easier, maintaining proper inflation in one’s tires can also generate a 5 to 10% increase in efficiency, as well.

Drive the Speed Limit

The faster that a vehicle is driven, the harder that it has to work to push through the air. Although this is true for any vehicle, the less aerodynamic a vehicle’s design, the more that additional wind resistance will affect fuel economy. Simply driving at the speed limit, or a little below, as opposed to 5-10 miles per hour above, can result in significant fuel economy gains in non aerodynamic vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and minivans.

Do Not Accelerate Unnecessarily

The most fuel inefficient thing to do is to accelerate. An engine will burn more gas going from 0 to 50 than it will for an equivalent amount of time going 50 miles per hour. Even small variations of pedal pressure during steady driving can burn a great deal of fuel. Try to plan a route to allow for as much steady speed as possible. In addition, using the car’s cruise control system as much as reasonably and safely possible can also lead to reduced fuel consumption.

Along this vein, coast to stop lights. Whether one rushes to the light and then steps on the brakes or gradually coasts there, in either case one will be stopped until the light turns green. Coasting, though, will use as much of the car’s forward momentum as possible. It also leaves open the possibility that the car will still be moving when the light turns green, reducing the amount of acceleration necessary.