Looking for tips to improve your fuel economy?
With the summer months fast approaching many people may be starting to think about ways to save money on gas. Obviously taking public transportation, biking, walking and telecommuting are great choices but when you must drive, the following tips will help you obtain the best gas mileage:
Lighten the load: Removing all unnecessary items from your trunk or cargo area will help reduce your fuel consumption because the lighter the weight of the car, the less fuel you'll use. Also remove bike racks, bug deflectors and other add-ons when not in use.
Properly maintain your car: Keeping your tires properly inflated and changing your air filters will really improve your gas mileage. For every pound under the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure, you cut your fuel economy by 2%.
Use A/C only when necessary: Using your car's air conditioning can reduce your car's fuel economy by as much as 50% so it's best to use it only when necessary. However, if you're driving on the highway or at speeds over 40 miles per hour, it's better to roll up the windows and run the A/C. Driving at high speeds with the windows rolled down will affect the aerodynamics of the car.
Maintain a steady speed: Your fuel economy drops significantly over speeds of 55 MPH. Using cruise control can help you maintain your speed.
Consider hypermiling: Hypermiling is considered by some to be a bit controversial because some of the advanced techniques may be considered dangerous but people who practice some basic hypermiling techniques can really increase their fuel economy. For additional information about hypermiling, visit these sites below:
http://www.hypermiling.com
http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/01/Autos/driving_for_mpg/index.htm
http://www.cleanmpg.com/cmps_index.php?page=hypermiling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling
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