Here's our list of favourite tips:
#1 - Keep Your Tires Inflated
Under-inflated tires can have a big negative impact on your fuel economy. According to the US EPA, fuel efficiency is reduced by approximately 1% for every 3 psi that tires are under-inflated. According to Natural Resources Canada, Canadian drivers could save a whopping 643 million litres of fuel this year if they just kept their tires properly inflated.
What’s the easiest way to make sure your tires are properly inflated?
- Carry a tire gauge (there are digital gauges out there now) or use the gas station’s gauge, and check your tires once a month or so.
- Try out some LED tire valve caps. They flash or light up when your tire pressure drops. Buyer beware though. As best I can tell consumer feedback on them has been mixed.
The correct tire pressure in PSI can be found on your car's "tire label" which is usually found on the edge of your door, the door frame or sill.
Check out this survey that Edmunds.com did last Earth Day of its own employees. It gave its employees digital tire gauges and asked them to report back. The results are pretty remarkable. If the pros at Edmunds are driving around on underinflated tires….
#2 - Empty Your Trunk
According to the folks at EcoDriving USA, an additional 100 pounds in the trunk typically translates into a 2% reduction in fuel economy. I gave this one a try (good-bye soccer balls, golf clubs) and I noticed a slight improvement in my mileage. You can check out my car's Moblu profile to see what happened.
#3 - Get Your Car Tuned-up Regularly
This can translate into a 4% or more improvement in gas mileage. And it's a good way to maintain the overall health of your car.
#4 - Tighten Your Gas Cap
No, really. Tighten your gas cap. As much as 30 gallons of gasoline can be lost annually to evaporation when your fuel cap is not fully tightened. According to the Car Care Council, loose, damaged or missing gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate in the US each year.
#5 - Take it Easy
Highway driving that exceeds 60 miles (100 km) per hour uses more fuel. Observing the speed limit and not exceeding 60 mph (where legally allowed) can improve mileage by 7-23%.
This one I can manage - most of the time. #6 on the other hand .....
#6 - Avoid "Jack Rabbit" Starts and Stops
"Jack rabbit" starts and stops use fuel and cost money at the gas pump.
According to the U.S. EPA, avoiding this sort of driving behaviour can improve fuel economy by up to 33%. A few seconds of high-powered driving can use as much gas as driving for several minutes at more measured speeds.
As any "hypermiler" (and/or my wife) will tell you, if you ease into accelerations and brake smoothly, especially around corners, you can improve your mileage significantly.
As my car's Moblu profile will attest, I still have work to do on this front. I drive almost entirely in the city and I have developed some bad habits. Feels like I might need a "12 step" program.
#7 - Drive Your Car to Warm It Up
Today's cars don't need to be warmed up before driving. According to J.D. Power, even on the coldest morning, running your engine for 30 seconds is all you need before your car should be ready to drive. Your car will reach its optimum operating temperature much faster when you are driving, rather than idling.
Give One of the Tips a Try and Track Its Impact at Moblu
Do these tips really work? Find out for yourself. Give one or more of them a try and track your mileage at Moblu to see what sort of difference they make.
Further Reading
Here are links to some other/more comprehensive lists.
EcoDriving Tips from EcoDriving USA
"Driving More Efficiently" - from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
"Driving Tips" from the Drive Smarter Challenge
