7 Benefits of Having a “Water Powered Car”

7 Benefits of Having a “Water Powered Car”.

No doubts about it, it’s now possible to power your car on water. Apart from the many benefits that this exciting technology has on the planet, it also has many widespread benefits for many individuals around the world, including YOU.

Below are 7 of the top benefits of having a “Water-Powered Car”:

1. Improves your gas mileage by up to 35%. This includes both city and highway driving conditions. Imagine how much money this would save you at the end of the month, at the end of the year. It is estimated that this could save you as much as $900 per year. If you have two, three or four drivers in the family, this yearly savings increases dramatically. And what if you have a fleet of 50 drivers in your company? Then your yearly savings will multiply to nearly $45,000. Potentially even more.

2. Eliminates harmful exhaust emissions that pollute the environment and contribute to global warming. Your engine will ADD oxygen to the environment instead of polluting it. How about doing something good to help the environment for a change?

3. Greatly enhances engine power and performance. The more gas you use on your car, the more the engine gets battered - thus reducing the vehicles performance. But by using water as an alternative, this enhances your engine power instead and improves performance.

4. Removes carbon deposits and prevents future carbon build up.

5. Reduces the operating temperature of the engine.

6. You will notice a calmer, quieter and much smoother engine operation as well as smoother gearshifts. This is due to the effect water has on the combustion cycle inside your engine.

7. Enjoy a longer life expectancy for your engine, especially the pistons, rings and valves.

These are just some of the many benefits of this exciting technology. Remember, even YOU can build the device needed to make this technology work for YOU, right in the comfort of your home.

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3 Ways To Increase Gas Mileage Easily

This article is about different ways to increase gas mileage so that you can save gas on car as well as money. The reason why I'm writing this article is because the rate of inflation is high any where in this world due to the surging oil and gas prices. The cost of living is becoming higher and higher because the price of the most important raw materials - oil and gas, is increasing day by day. To people who own cars like us, owning a car and driving a car has become a huge expenses of the day. If we can learn some ways to increase gas mileage, then I can sure that our lives will be better off. Here are some tips to save gas on car.

Plan Your Route

It is important that you learn the map before driving. By doing so, you can avoid unnecessary mistakes and take the long route. It is advisable that you purchase a GPS system. Although it is rather expensive, but believe me, it is a very good investment!

Increase Tire Pressure

Is is important to make sure that your tyre pressure is high enough. People may think that if it is too low, then we should add air to bring the tires to their recommended pressure. However, I have found that by inflating the tires 2 to 3 lbs over recommended, you can actually increase your gas mileage.

Gas Tank Must Be More Than 1/4

Some people have been suggesting to lower the total car weight by filling the gas not more than 1/4 of the gas tank. This method does not work! When the gas tank is low, there will be impurity or your engine will not have sufficient gas supply. This will reduce the efficiency of your engine and hence lower your gas mileage. Therefore, make sure that your gas tank is always more than 1/4 full!

Using the above three methods, you should be able to increase gas mileage by about 10% easily (given that you really follow strictly). It is easy to know these tips to save gas consumption and different ways to increase gas mileage, however how many people really follow the secret to increase gas mileage. I do, do you?

By Rick Burton

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6 Ways You're Wasting Gas

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With all the worry over fuel prices, you'd think drivers would do whatever they can not to waste gas. But look around and you'll see lots of them tooling around as if they owned their own tanker fleet. One of them might be you.

Here are six ways drivers typically waste gas on every trip:


1. Racing away from green lights

When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine.

Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.

2. Racing up to red lights

When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later.

There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.

By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.

3. Confusing the highway with a speedway

Even if it doesn't involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It's like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back.

In tests by Consumer Reports, driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.

4. Bumper-buzzing

Tailgating is a bad move for many reasons. First of all, it's unsafe. You reduce your ability to react if the car in front of you slows or stops. It also means you have to pay ultra-close attention to that car which reduces your ability to scan for other hazards ahead of you and to the sides.

And tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That's because you can't react immediately so you have to slow even more because you're slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.

Hang back and you'll be safer - plus you'll be able to drive more smoothly and use less fuel. A good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds of space between your car and the one ahead. You can figure that out by counting off two seconds after the car in front of you passes an obvious landmark like an overpass.

5. Driving standing still

You've probably heard that it takes more gas to restart a car than to let it run. Maybe that used to be true, but it isn't anymore. With modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up.

Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment.

Now you don't want to shut your engine down for every little stop in your regular, non-hybrid car - it's not designed for that - but if you're waiting for someone to run in and out of a convenience store, turn off the engine.

And don't go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. You're already paying enough for the oil in those chicken nuggets.

Bonus tip: Don't idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.

6. Short hops

For really short trips, take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise. Try walking to the store instead of driving. You can save gas and burn a few calories instead.

If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. A lot of short hops that let the engine cool down at home between trips can use twice as much gas as starting the car once and making a big sweep to all your stops, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.

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Driving More Effeciently

Driving More Efficiently

Drive Sensibly

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 5-33%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.19-$1.23/gallon

Observe the Speed Limit

Graph showing MPG VS speed MPG decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mphWhile each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-23%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.26-$0.86/gallon

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2%/100 lbs
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.04-$0.07/gallon

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $3.72/gallon.

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10 Easy-to-Follow Gas-Saving Steps

Here are 10 easy-to-follow steps to increase your fuel economy. When you've mastered these, grasshopper, you'll be ready for the master's course in hyper-mileage.

1. Don’t speed. Driving 65 mph instead of 75 mph will increase your fuel economy by about 10 percent. Pride yourself on being a slowpoke.

2. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts. Flooring the gas pedal wastes gas and leads to drastically higher pollution rates.

3. Anticipate stops. Think ahead to anticipate stops so your vehicle can coast down. Accelerating hard and braking hard wastes gas, increases pollution, and wears out your brakes.

4. Keep your tires properly inflated. For every 3 pounds below recommended pressure, fuel economy goes down by about 1 percent.

5. Avoid rush hour, if possible. Stop-and-go driving burns gas and increases emissions of smog-forming pollutants. For hybrids that can stay in electric mode at low speeds, the effects of stop-and-go driving are greatly reduced.

6. Travel light. An extra 100 pounds in your trunk reduces fuel economy by about 1 percent.

7. Combine trips. Warmed-up engines run more efficiently and generate less air pollution.

8. Leave off the air conditioning, if possible. AC increases fuel consumption, increases smog-forming NOx emissions in some vehicles, and can involve environmentally damaging fluids. At high speeds, open windows increase drag; use vents if possible. Learn more about effects of air conditioning on hybrids.

9. Check your own fuel economy every few weeks. If you notice the numbers slipping, then think about how your driving might have changed, and consider getting a tune-up or an oil change.

10. Drive less. Give your car a rest by taking public transportation, riding a bike, or walking. The exercise will do you good.

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Better Gas Mileage in a Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid is often upstaged by the Toyota Prius. Meanwhile, many Civic Hybrid drivers are achieving fuel economy numbers consistently in the 60-mpg range. Don't believe it? That's okay. If you try out even one or two of the simple techniques—like using cruise control as often as possible—you may experience a nice bump in your fuel economy.

Which of these techniques are the most useful to Civic Hybrid drivers? To find out, we read hundreds of web posts, and spoke directly with the most accomplished of fuel-efficient drivers. (Special thanks to Bob Barlow and "Hot Georgia" Steve.) The table below—very much a work in progress—is our attempt to organize the greatest hits of Honda Civic Hybrid mileage advice into something you can use everyday.

Ultimately, it's your job to discover what works, and what doesn't. Let us know about your experiences. We'll use your feedback to continue to add and modify this unofficial "Reader's Digest" guide to maximizing your mileage.
Overview

The Honda Civic Hybrid—with its small engine and easy-to-view dashboard mileage gauges—gives the careful driver all the tools needed for extended coasting and super highway mileage. It lacks the ability to launch in all-electric mode—which helps to save gas in stop-and-go traffic—but makes up for it on the highway to produce overall mileage nearly equal to a Prius.
Break-in Period

Give any hybrid a full six months and/or 10,000 miles to get broken in. The biggest impact occurs in the first 2,000 miles or so, and it may take as much as 15,000 to achieve peak mpg's. Hybrid owners commonly experience a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy after the new car smell has drifted away.
Route Selection

Speed is your enemy. The ideal routes have long stretches without stops, and speed limits of 40 – 45 mph (especially while using cruise control.)

Don't be concerned about hills, especially routes with short steep uphills and long gradual downhills. The coast on the way down—especially if it's uninterrupted—will more than make up for the extra energy to get to the top. And the downhill stretches will give you a chance to recharge your battery through regenerative braking.

Experiment with multiple routes to see which paths consistently produce the best mileage.
When to Drive

Cold starts are mpg killers. The Civic Hybrid and other hybrids get the worst mileage in the first five to ten minutes of driving. The auto-stop feature, which shuts down the gasoline engine when you come to a stop, is less likely to engage during the warm-up period.

Some drivers put less demand on the gasoline engine during warmup by driving slowly and coasting as much as possible. This improves fuel economy during warmup, but may result in a longer warmup period.

In other words, no matter what you do, there is certain amount of fuel that will be used during the warmup period. The best advice is to get all your errands done in one outing.

Avoid rush-hour traffic, if at all possible.

Do your best to skip driving during rainy, slushy or snowy conditions.
Tire Pressure

Tire pressure (i.e., rolling resistance) has a significant influence on fuel economy, and an obvious impact on safety and the quality of your ride. Do the research, and make your own decisions about how far to take the tire pressure to maximize mileage.

Drivers getting the highest mileage recommend using the recommended maximum tire pressure on the sidewalls—not the psi supplied by the automaker on the doorframe.

Maintain the maximum recommended tire pressure. Check the tire pressure regularly so the pressure does not fall below the maximum level.
Fuels

Low octane gasoline is best. (There is actually less energy in high-octane fuel.)

Some convenience stores may use more additives than "name brand" gas stations.
Distance from Other Vehicles

Be aware of road conditions. The most important factor in maximizing your mpg is your ability to take your foot off the accelerator absolutely as soon as know that you'll need to slow down or stop

To give yourself time to stop and coast, create space between you and the car in front of you—except when you have the opportunity to "draft" behind other vehicles on the highway. You can obtain the benefits of drafting while maintaining a safe distance of 150 feet of more.
Starting & Warming Up

Start up and get going without delay.
Dashboard Displays

Observe the instantaneous mileage reading. Monitor which conditions get the instantaneous display to move as far to the right as possible.

Slipping the vehicle into neutral will almost always "max out" the instant reading to 120 mpg.

Use the "Trip A" monitor to keep track of lifetime mileage, and "Trip B" to monitor mileage for your current tank. Alternatively, reserve one of the trip meters to measure fuel economy for specific routes to help you determine which routes to take in the future.
Accelerating & Cruising

While nearly everyone agrees that lower rpm's are best, there are two schools of thought about acceleration.

Slow Accel
Accelerate absolutely as gradually as possible, backing off the accelerator as you increase speed.

Moderate Accel
The time you spend at low speeds is time spent at lower gear ratios. This increases engine revolutions, and hence, engine friction. So, the best strategy—especially for a manual transmission—is to accelerate at wide open throttle, but upshift at the lowers possible rpm. Moderate accelerations in the CVT will keep the engine at optimal efficiency at all times.

Cruising
When you need to enter a highway or otherwise rapidly accelerate, simply stomp on the gas and go. The battery power will "assist" the gasoline engine, thereby reducing your fuel use.

For highway driving, get best results by setting cruise control at 55 mph. For every mph over 50 mph, you lose approximately 1 mpg. Slowing down from 65 to 60 mph or from 75 to 70 mph will save you approximately 5 mpg.
Braking & Deceleration

Use every opportunity to coast rather than applying the brakes—even if it's only for a couple of hundred feet.

If you are comfortable with shifting back and forth from neutral, then slip into neutral to extend the duration of the coast. Coasting in neutral prevents regenerative braking, giving you a longer coast.

Anticipate short uphill stretches by gaining speed while approaching the hill, and coasting as far as possible up the incline.
All-Electric Mode

The Honda Civic Hybrid, model years 2003-2005, uses an all-electric mode when the car is coming to stop or at a standstill. This feature is called "auto-stop."

To get the auto-stop to engage, you must travel at least 10 mph and then return to a stop. If auto-stop is engaged waiting at a light, and the car ahead of you "creeps" ahead a few feet, do not follow. Stay where you are as long as possible to keep the gasoline engine from idling.

Note: The redesigned 2006 Civic Hybrid can deactivate all cylinders and go all-electric. We are currently collecting information about the best strategies for achieving all-electric mode in the 2006 Civic Hybrid.
Idle versus Shutdown

In conditions that require you to wait for longer than one minute, (e.g., line at fast food restaurant) set your parking brake and shift into neutral. Turn the key one click to turn the engine off (provided that you do not need A/C, defroster, etc.).

If you need the fan, radio, etc., then click once to "on" again, but do not restart the engine until the line you are waiting in has moved at least a cars length.

If you need to move forward, restart the engine. If you think that you'll remain stationary for a minute or longer, once again shut down the engine. Practice stopping-restarting, stopping-restarting in moderation. This process increases wear on the starter.
Gear Selection

Avoid lower gears, unless you are trying to reduce use of brakes on severe downhill stretch.

Coasting in N, rather than D, can give you a 30-40% improvement in the length of the coast.
AC and Accessories

In model years prior to 2006, running certain accessories will not allow you to activate auto-stop. To engage auto-stop as frequently as possible, set the AC "Econ" button to on. In the 2006 Civic Hybrid, the auto-stop function will engage even when accessories are being used.

Using the defroster, especially the electric rear defroster, places high loads on the engine and uses additional fuel. To keep auto-stop working while using the windshield defroster, keep the vent set to defrost but keep the fan set to off. This will allow a steady flow of air over the windshield. As needed, switch the fan on half way, let it run for a minute, then switch it off.

Alternatively, you can try this "hack:"

1. Turn the vent control (top knob) to "face" (one to the right of auto).
2. Turn the temp knob all the way to cold (left).
3. Turn the fan control to "auto."
4. Hold the three buttons down: AC, recirculate and econ button.
5. Insert key into ignition and start.
6. Hold the buttons down for seven seconds. The ECON light will blink 7 times.
7. Release button.
8. Now you can enter auto-stop while using defrost.
9. To switch back to default, repeat the process above.


State of Charge (SOC)

For the most part, the Civic Hybrid's state of charge will be maintained in an ideal state by the vehicle's computer system.

When the batteries are below half-way, the "assists"—the use of battery power during rapid acceleration—will occur less fequently.

Two bars of power on the battery charge gauge are sufficient. If there are two bars or less, then keep the car in D when stopping in order to maximize regenerative braking. If you have more than two bars of power, then use N for stopping and coasting.

The advantages of coasting outweigh the benefits of regenerative braking and and assists.
Cruise Control

Use the cruise control as often as possible.

You must be traveling at least 25 mph to engage cruise control.

Use the accel and decel button on the steering wheel to moderate your speed.
Advanced Techniques

Consistency, slow acceleration, and maximizing the duration of coasting.

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Some Easy Steps To Easily Help You Improve Your Gas Mileage

By Gregg Hall
There are many times when a person will find themselves wondering how they can improve their gas mileage and even though there isn't really anything anyone can do about the gas prices there is something that you can do to get better fuel efficiency. You can trade whatever car you have now in for a better car that's gets better mpg. I would consider getting a 4 cylinder for the high prices that we have today. Even though I would rather drive a small pickup the little cars that are around today are getting great gas mileage and that's even better if the car is turbocharged.

I have heard that if you get your oil changed it will give you better gas mileage but that's only getting changed every 3 months or every 3000 miles. So to me that wouldn't really be saving any gas because it doesn't sound like oil and can save you gas mileage. The thing that I would think would save gas mileage is what they tested on Myth Busters and that is less than 45mph you should ride with your windows down and the a/c off but if you are going over 45mph and creating drag then you should have the windows rolled up and the a/c on. That's just what they tested and it proved to save way more gas up to over 30 miles with the a/c on over 45mph.

Your tires need to also be at the right pressure or they will be causing you to lose gas mileage as well. When your tires are not to the right tire pressure then they will have to work harder to grip the ground to get the car moving. So if your tires are at the perfect pressure then you will not be forcing

your tires to move so hard and they will move easier making the gas mileage better in a way. You would be getting better with perfect pressure then when you never check your tire pressure is what the point is.

You should not keep a lot of stuff in your trunk because more weight equals more drag so you will be getting less mpg. So you might want to clean your car out of all the garbage, trash and other things not needed so your car will produce better gas mileage.

You should never turn off the car if you are just going in a store for a split second or less because your car will get better gas mileage if the car is already warm where as it is cold. So just keeps the car running if you are just going into the post office for a minute.

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Used Hybrid Values Rise with Gas Prices

Four-dollar per gallon gasoline hasn't just kept new trucks and SUVs on the lot at the dealership. It's also made it more difficult to unload used gas-guzzlers. Meanwhile, hybrids are quickly becoming the hottest vehicles in the used market.

"Gas prices and the impacts on the resale value are the number one issues we’re dealing with," said James Clark, editorial director at Automotive Leasing Guide, in an interview with HybridCars.com. ALG monitors and forecasts trends in the residual values of cars and trucks. Hybrid cars were first introduced in the United States in late 1999—so the used hybrid market is still in its infancy, making it difficult to forecast long-term resale values for gas-electric vehicles.

Yet, the recent trends are revealing. "In the last month or two, we’ve seen values go up, ballpark, from around $15,000 for a 2005 model year Prius to around $17,000. That’s pretty significant for a used car price to increase that much in a short time."

For Americans who are trying to get rid of their Tahoes and Explorers for the sake of better fuel economy, pricey gas means not only fewer buyers, but a glut of competition from other like-minded resellers. Unless you have limitless amounts of money to spend on gasoline, buying an SUV recently has proven to be a losing gamble on oil prices staying low. Depending on the make and model, it's not uncommon for light trucks and SUVs to have lost more than $3,000 in resale value from what a similar vehicle with the same mileage would have been worth just last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, 36 percent of people who traded in their SUVs in May still owed more on the vehicle than it was worth.

Whether this price depreciation lasts depends on where gas prices go in the near future. Industry executives and analysts are not planning for the gas to drop back to 2002 levels, and don't expect SUVs to regain their popularity.

“At both sides of the margins, vehicles with really good gas mileage or really poor gas mileage are both very difficult to forecast right now,” said Clark. “But if you’re doing your cost of ownership calculation—which more people are doing right now—the impacts are significant.”

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The Importance of Oil

Americans use a lot of oil. Although we constitute only 5% of the world’s population, we consume 25% of global oil production. America epitomizes the petroleum-dependent lifestyle.

Oil is the raw material that makes possible the functioning of nearly every component of the U.S. economy, directly or indirectly. It provides 40% of the nation’s power supply—far more than any other source. Oil powers our industries, heats our buildings, and provides the raw material for plastics, paints, textiles, and other materials. But it is in transportation that oil is most essential:

Oil provides 97% of the fuel used by America’s enormous fleet of trucks, trains, planes, ships, buses and cars.

We have staked our entire way of life on a non-renewable resource that may be largely exhausted within the next 30 years. All of the current and projected alternative energy sources will not be able to replace oil in the near future. But Americans continue to act as if there is no problem as they buy more and bigger cars and commute longer distances from energy-inefficient suburban developments.

It doesn’t take much imagination to realize that when (not if) we run out of oil, our accustomed way of life will change radically. But even before that day, our gas-guzzling lifestyle erodes our national security, destroys the environment, and makes us very vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices.

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Real Cost of a Gallon of Gas: $11.35 plus

The national average for unleaded gas hit $3.28 a gallon this week, a 26 percent increase from last year at this time. Yet, the real cost of energy dependence amounts to more than $11.35 per gallon, according to Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security.

In Dr. Luft’s opinion piece in today’s Miami Herald, he estimates that the United States is sending $460 billion per year overseas to finance the daily buying of 12 million barrels of imported oil. Luft cites calculations from the late Milton Copulos, an energy economist, who sets the grand total from the cost of oil-related defense expenditures, amortized cost of supply disruptions, and lost economic activity and tax revenues, at $825 billion per year.

"To put the figure in perspective, this is equivalent to adding $8.35 to the price of a gallon of gasoline refined from Persian Gulf oil, making the cost of filling the gasoline tank of a sedan $214, and of an SUV $321."

According to Luft, this transfer of wealth allows OPEC governments to not only laugh all the way to the bank—but to literally own the bank. He estimates that, with oil at $100 a barrel, OPEC's oil assets stand at “roughly $92 trillion, equivalent to almost half of the world's total financial assets and nearly twice the market capitalization of all the companies traded in the world's 27 top stock markets.” At current oil prices, OPEC could buy GM from six days worth of sales.

Luft’s answer is fuel diversity. He would like to see Congress require that every new car sold in the U.S. be made capable of running on something other than only gasoline. Alcohol-based fuels and electricity top his list. The added cost to make a flex-fuel car is about $100—the cost of one barrel of oil.

Of course, eradicating oil dependence will not be easy or cheap. But, as Luft points out, the path to a recovery from our current economic woes is compromised by our rabid consumption of petroleum. “It's past time for Congress to recognize that the solution to our economic predicament lies in our garage.”

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Low-Resistance Tires

Gas mileage is affected by more than just the size and weight of the tire. Rolling resistance of the tire has a larger effect. Here's the basic rule:

Harder tires = lower rolling resistance

Beware. If the tire is too hard or too round, then the tire-patch (which is the area of tire that is in contact with the ground) will be too small to grip the road surface effectively. This in turn will allow the wheel to skid easier when trying to stop or allow the wheel to slip and spin when trying to roll out from a light.

The same holds true for tread designs and patterns. The more detailed the tread design, the more likely it will grip the road better—but also create the opportunity to trap air in each of the pockets it generates when touching the road surface. When trapping the air/water/dirt/snow in these pockets, the tire is compressing the material that is in the pocket. Therefore, the engine has to do more work to compress these pockets. This makes the tire less efficient to turn, and thereby reduces the mileage of the vehicle.

The tire companies work to balance the rubber compounds and tread patterns to find the most efficient combinations. Along the way, new compounds are discovered as well as more efficient tread patterns.
Hybrids and Resistance

Most of the hybrid vehicles use some sort of low rolling resistance tire. Sometimes these tires are called “low mu.” “Mu” is the Greek letter (used by engineers) as the symbol for “tire friction to the road surface.”

While the low resistance tires will help with mileage, there have been some complaints from hybrid owners that they did not like the way the tires handle on the road. As a result, Toyota has backed off from using the lower resistance tires and has settled with a better handling tire.

It boils down to personal preference. If you drive aggressively, you might want to use a softer tire with better road adhesion. If you’re a fanatic for mileage and a very mellow driver, then you probably should get the lowest resistance tire you can find on the market.
Choice of Tire and/or Tire Pressure

You can minimize resistance, and maximizing mpg by making sure your car uses a Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) rated tire. If you change your vehicle’s tires, by increasing or decreasing the resistance by 20% for example, you may raise or drop mileage by 3 to 5%. While this is a measurable difference, it won’t make as big a difference as making certain that your tires are properly inflated. A vehicle that requires its tires to be inflated to 35 psi will have an increase in rolling resistance of 12% or more if the tires are allowed to become underinflated to just 28 psi.

Many hybrid car enthusiasts recommend an absolute minimum psi of 35 psi—and many try to push the envelope by increasing pressure to 40+ psi. You should read the manufacturer’s recommendations, and decide for yourself how comfortable you are with pumping up your tires for a gain in mpg. There could be safety issues related to over-inflating your tires.

Bear in mind that temperature makes a difference. The rule of thumb is for every 10° Fahrenheit change in air temperature, your tire's inflation pressure will change by about 1 psi (up with higher temperatures and down with lower). When it gets cold, check your pressure to make sure it's not too low.

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Aerodynamic Design and Mileage

Resistance to Reducing Resistance

Improving the way a vehicle moves through air is simultaneously the least expensive and most effective way for carmakers to increase fuel efficiency. More than half of the energy required to move a car traveling at highway speeds is spent on aerodynamic drag. Automobile designers have dozens of techniques for making their vehicles slip more easily through air. Today's most efficient hybrid cars use many of these strategies, such as:

Toyota Prius: Rounding the edges of the front end

2006 Civic Hybrid: Tuning the wheel openings

Honda Insight: Adding side skirts
What A Drag

Toyota Prius: Rounding the edges of the front end

Based on their aerodynamic design, hybrids have a head start in the race for fuel economy. The typical modern automobile has a coefficient of drag (cd) of 0.30 to 0.35—and a light truck commonly has a cd of 0.40 to 0.45. (Lower numbers mean less resistance.) The Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Honda Civic Hybrid have cd's of 0.25, 0.26, and 0.28 respectively. These are the only three vehicles currently rated above 50 miles per gallon.

Conventional vehicles don't need hybrid technology to benefit from smart aerodynamics—just a commitment to good design from automakers.

The least aerodynamic vehicles on the road are SUVs and large pickups. For example, a Hummer H2 has a drag coefficient of 0.57. Given how much front area larger vehicles cover (which mean a lot of resistance to air), small changes in design could have a dramatic effect. In fact, many analysts say it's cheaper to decrease drag coefficient of these larger vehicles than for smaller cars. G.M. claims its 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe slips through the air eight percent more efficiently, with the result of a three percent fuel economy improvement. The new four-wheel-drive Tahoe will get 20.3 miles per gallon, compared with 18.2 miles for the 2004 model.

So if it's so cheap and easy to modify the shape of the vehicle for reduced drag—with almost all of the cost going to upfront engineering rather than production costs—then why don't we see more of that?
The High Price of Cool

The answer: marketing. Car designers and automobile marketing departments—in their efforts to make their products look "cool" or "different"—usually win battles with engineers trying to squeeze a little more aerodynamics and fuel efficiency out of their designs. Many people think the Volkswagen Beetle's iconoclastic design looks cool, but the cd of 0.38 can't touch a Prius's 0.26. Ford engineers had to work like mad to improve the engine efficiency of the new F150 pickup truck, just to make up ground lost for F150's aggressive looks and poor aerodynamics. If Ford put a new F150 engine in an old F150 pickup body, they would get an immediate bump in fuel economy.

The carmakers would argue they couldn't sell cars without offering new styles. If this is true—and if gas prices continue to swing wildly up and down and up again—then the "aero" look might quickly come into fashion. And boxy blunt designs might go the way of leisure suits.

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Aggressive Driving and Gas Mileage

High-performance vehicles get relatively more efficient at high speeds, while hybrid efficiency remains constant. Aggressive driving burns more gas for both.

On Jan.12, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would update its fuel economy calculations, starting with vehicles hitting showrooms in 2007. The new EPA formula will take aggressive driving and other factors into greater consideration. It's unknown how the change will affect window sticker mpg numbers for hybrid cars. A report issued last year by the Department of Energy may provide some clues.

In April 2005, researchers from the DOE's Argonne National Laboratory presented a paper entitled, "Investigating Vehicle Fuel Economy Robustness of Conventional and Hybrid Electric Vehicles." The study showed that hybrid fuel economy suffers under more demanding driving conditions, including high speeds and/or fast acceleration. On the other hand, more aggressive driving patterns could produce higher rather than lower efficiencies in some conventional vehicles.

The ATDS and US06 driving test cycles, used by the EPA for evaluating emissions, are much more aggressive than the EPA's current cycles used to produce mpg figures. All vehicles, except for the Jaguar XJ8, suffered under more demanding driving conditions.
Hybrids—Already Efficient—Have Little Room to Improve

Michael Duoba, the study's principal investigator, makes a distinction between efficiency—the amount of work you get with respect to how much energy is invested—and the overall fuel required for a specific trip. He said, "In more aggressive driving, virtually any car will actually achieve higher efficiencies in terms of thermodynamics, but driving faster requires more power and energy, thus more fuel is required."

Duoba explained that hybrids get very high efficiencies and perform very well under light loads. He added, "As soon as you drive faster, the hybrids simply don't have anywhere to go. They are already very efficient. "

The most dramatic comparison in the multi-vehicle DOE study was analyzing the differences between the Toyota Prius—the quintessential hybrid—and the Jaguar XJ8, a high-performance vehicle. To establish a baseline for efficiency, the DOE researchers searched for the speed at which each vehicle was the most efficient. They used a treadmill-like device called dynamometer to run the vehicles at a constant speed for 30 continuous minutes. The most efficient speed for the Toyota Prius was 20 mph, and its least efficient level was 70 mph.

Results for the Jaguar were the opposite. At a constant speed of 20 mph, when the Prius obtained a fuel economy of over 140 mpg, the Jaguar was recorded at a level of 37 mpg. Every additional 10 mph helped the Jaguar's efficiency until it reached its peak of 40 mpg at 50 mph. Duoba said, "Because the Jaguar is so inefficient at low speeds, you have to drive faster to improve its fuel economy."
Hybrid Efficiency Remains Constant

To test patterns more consistent with actual road conditions, the researchers used the EPA's well-known and much criticized urban driving cycle. To simulate various levels of aggressive driving, they intensified that cycle in a series of four steps until they reached an average speed of 40.0 mph, with a maximum speed of 79.4 mph. (Don't try this at home.) By contrast, the average speed for the EPA's current urban cycle is 24.1 mph.

When the cycle was pushed to 1.4 times the load of the current EPA test, the Toyota Prius was the only vehicle to maintain high efficiencies at nearly the same level as the standard urban cycle. All of the conventional vehicles became slightly more efficient in more demanding situations. "The Jaguar's engine, which is way oversized, is usually being driven at lower loads, which is very inefficient," explained Duoba. "When it comes to hybrids, the efficiency remains constant."

The Toyota Prius, When pushed to 1.4 times the load of the current EPA test, the Toyota Prius was the only vehicle to maintain high efficiencies at nearly the same level as the standard urban cycle.

Hybrid cars utilize complicated integrated system that allows manufacturers to optimize the vehicle's efficiency for a specific drive cycle. Duoba thinks the DOE test results show how Toyota made a deliberate decision to size the Prius's hybrid components for the low-speed, stop-and-go driving of the EPA urban driving cycle. (Could Toyota modify the design for the new EPA mileage formula?) Simpler and larger engine systems, indicative of past generations of automotive technology, don't have the advanced technology or controls to adapt to different driving patterns.

The DOE study and changes in EPA policy are unlikely to satisfy car shoppers quest for definitive information about hybrid fuel economy. "We fool ourselves to say that any car has a specific miles per gallon. But the general rule is the more aggressive you drive a hybrid, the more your high fuel economy will suffer when compared to conventional cars. It's all relative."

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Air Conditioning and Hybrid Mileage

Air Conditioning Reduces Hybrid Fuel Economy

The latest results from an ongoing evaluation of hybrid cars indicate the use of air conditioning has a dramatic effect on hybrid's fuel economy. "The hybrids we tested got 15 to 27 percent lower fuel economy with the air conditioning on," said Jim Francfort, principal investigator at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, which is operated for the Department of Energy.

Francfort has been evaluating hybrids for nearly five years. In 2001, while testing the Honda Insight and the first generation Toyota Prius—the first two hybrids introduced in the United States—Francfort and his team saw big influences from air conditioning. He said, "It was new technology and we were trying to learn. We thought we needed to do more tests to understand the impacts on fuel economy, based on how hybrid owners actually drive their cars."
Prius

In lab tests performed by the Idaho National Laboratory, fuel efficiency for the Honda Civic Hybrid with the air conditioning on was 27 percent lower than with the air conditioning off.

Recently, hybrid cars have come under fire for not getting the gas mileage promised by the EPA numbers on window stickers. Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, the New York Times, Wired Magazine, and others have reported that hybrid car gas mileage is 30 to 50 percent less than promised. And in some cases, they claim, the mileage for the hybrid version of a vehicle is almost the same as for the conventional version. A number of disappointed and/or irate hybrid drivers want to return their hybrids or sue the car companies for false advertising.

Reports of low hybrid mileage have left legions of satisfied hybrid drivers—who are obtaining real-world mpg that matches or even exceeds EPA numbers—scratching their heads, wondering how numbers from these publications could be so low. Hybrid owners and shoppers receive little satisfaction from broad explanations that it could be the way the car is driven, or how fast it's driven, or the traffic conditions, or the tire pressure, or the outside temperature, or the wind, or any number of other reasons, or a combination of those reasons, or all of the reasons combined.
Hybrids Put to the Test

Since 2001, the Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Vehicle Testing labs have put 28 hybrids through 1.6 million miles of real-life road fleet testing, as well as an extensive battery of lab tests. It's part of the Department of Energy's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program, intended to provide benchmarks for vehicle research and development efforts, and to help fleet managers make informed purchase decisions.

In lab tests, mileage data was collected with the air conditioning either completely off or cranked to the highest level. The hybrid fleet testing was conducted in locations throughout Arizona, representing a diverse range of climates and driving conditions. In fleet testing with actual drivers using hybrids as they normally would, hybrid mileage was roughly halfway between the air-on and air-off lab figures—which makes sense considering that drivers reported using air conditioning roughly half the time. Francfort added, "Using heat in the hybrids didn't have a significant impact at all. The compressor is not running, and the car uses heat from engine to warm the cabin."

In the worst case, fuel efficiency for the Honda Civic with the air conditioning on was 27 percent lower than with the air conditioning off. In terms of miles-to-the-gallon, the Civic Hybrids averaged approximately 48 mpg without AC, but dropped to 35 mpg with the cool air blowing. The Toyota Prius was more than 20 percent less efficient with AC running, and even the mild hybrid Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was 15 percent less efficient. The Idaho National Labs have not yet tested the 2006 Civic Hybrid, which was re-engineered to pull more energy from the electric motor to run air conditioning and other accessories. Non-hybrids were also not tested.
Other Findings

The testing also dispelled a persistent myth that the rechargeable batteries need to be frequently replaced. Francfort originally thought their battery evaluations would "go to 100,00 miles because that's how long the batteries are under warranty. The batteries were working so well, we thought we'd go further." They finally settled on 160,000 miles. Evaluations showed that the rechargeable batteries lasted to 160,000 miles with no effect on fuel economy.

Francfort and his team also determined that the computer dashboard readings for fuel economy—which most drivers use to base their judgment rather than manually calculating the actual mpg—inflates mileage numbers by somewhere between 10 to 20 percent.

Will the Idaho testing put the hybrid mileage question to rest? Probably not. With so many drivers running their hybrids in extremely diverse conditions across the United States—and emotions riding as high as they do over the culture and politics of cars, global warming, off-shore drilling, and oil wars, it's unlikely that a little air conditioning will cool things down.

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Winter Driving and Gas Mileage

I rolled over in bed this morning, looked out the window, and saw an army of snowflakes descending upon my house and yard. On 20 degree days like this, my joints ache, and it’s hard to move. I’m probably running at about 80 percent efficiency. Should I expect more from my hybrid?

All vehicles, machines, and people—not just hybrid cars—get less mileage to the gallon on cold winter days. By most accounts, the drop-off in efficiency is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. If you’re driving a 15 mpg SUV, you might not notice the drop to 13 mpg. But, if you’ve come to expect 50 mpg from your Prius, and you paid the premium to reach that level, then the drop to the low-40s will seem much more dramatic.

What causes the decrease in fuel economy during the winter?

* Engines take longer to warm up. During this time, they are running heavy at high RPMs. Even after you get going, all the car's systems have to work harder to maintain a normal operating temperature.
* Nobody likes to step into a cold car. Do you ever start the car up and leave it running for a few minutes while you go inside and slug down the second or third cup of coffee? Is the car running while you’re chipping away at the ice on the windshield? All of this burns gas and reduces your overall fuel economy numbers.
* The air is denser when it’s cold. It’s likely to be windy in the winter. The roads can be covered in snow and ice. This all adds up to more resistance.
* Tires are stiffer. Until they warm up on the highway, they roll less easily. And the tire pressure is likely to fall below the desired range.
* In the winter, you use your headlights, defrosters, and heaters more. To make matters worse for Honda hybrids, the use of the defroster and heater will reduce how often the idle-stop feature kicks in. (The Honda Civic Hybrid manual says that auto-stop will not function below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.) The ability for hybrids to go all-electric during idle is essential to its fuel parsimony strategy.
* Winter-blend gasoline is cut with various additives, such as anti-gel agents. As a result, there’s less tiger in the tank.

Can you do anything to steal back a few mpgs from Old Man Winter? Yes. The same things you should be doing all year round. Combine shorter trips into longer ones. Keep your car maintained and your tire pressure up. Don’t speed. If you can, don’t drive until the road is clear and the day warms up a bit.

Also, try to drive less. Tell your boss it’s too cold and stay inside where it’s warm and toasty. Who wants to go outside in the cold anyhow?

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Need more gas mileage?

The news is full of glowing stories about new hybrid cars getting over 60 miles-per-gallon, and you are wondering what to do with that old gas guzzler as gasoline heads past the $4.00 per gallon range in some states after the New Orleans and Gulf Coast hurricane devastation. Technically, a hybrid car is still a gasoline engine powered vehicle, but it also includes a small battery powered electric motor. The Toyota Prius has a dual-motor drive, operating on its battery-powered electric motor during stop and go city driving, then switching automatically to a conventional, but downsized, gasoline engine for highway driving.

VW Beetle
VW Beetle
VW Jetta
VW Jetta
VW Golf
VW Golf

Some hybrids do not switch between the gasoline engine and electric motor, as these models have both operating as a single unit. For example, the Honda Insight and Honda Civic use a small gasoline engine coupled to the transmission with an electric motor. The electric motor assists the small gasoline engine when added acceleration or speed is needed, and recharges its small battery pack during braking and downhill coasting. You also need to think about passenger room when considering a hybrid, as they are not all the same. The Honda Insight, for example, is basically a two-seat vehicle, while the Toyota Prius can seat up to five passengers.

Automakers sold over 55,000 hybrid vehicles in the United States leading up to 2005, but Toyota alone plans to sell over 100,000 hybrids this year. Hybrids cost about 20 percent more than a similar sized conventional gasoline engine vehicle, but can recover their higher initial cost in fuel savings. However, before you mortgage the farm and head for the dealership, you may want to consider several less expensive alternatives for higher fuel mileage.

In 1975, the United States Congress and President Ford passed a law that mandated raising the fuel mileage of all vehicles sold in the United States. The law was called CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. This law required raising the average mileage of all cars a given manufacturer made (trucks and SUVs were exempt) from the then current average of 17.8 to 27.5 miles-per-gallon. Later, Congress added trucks to the list, but their mileage goal was a lower average of 20.7 miles-per-gallon. It is now over 30 years later, yet these minimum standards have not changed. Although many politicians wanted to include raising these CAFE standards as part of the recently passed Energy bill, it never made it.

Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Echo
Toyota Echo
Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius

Most hybrids achieve their high mileage advantage during city stop and go driving, when an idling larger conventional engine is the least efficient. During higher speed interstate driving, the fuel economy of many hybrids will drop significantly, especially if the route is over mountainous roads. Many new hybrid vehicle owners are complaining that they are getting much lower gas mileage than advertised. Part of this discrepancy is due to the way the government mileage tests are conducted. The EPA guidelines were developed over 19 years ago, and specify that the published sticker gas mileage will be determined using a stationary car on a dynamometer test stand, while “simulating” different driving conditions. This simulation includes a top speed of 60 miles-per-hour, yet many of us drive 65 to 70 miles-per-hour commuting the interstate each day. Keep in mind that above 55 miles-per-hour, wind resistance increases dramatically, which lowers average mileage figures even more. Consumer Reports stated that independent testing of hybrid vehicles using real world driving conditions found mileage figures that averaged up to 40 percent below the EPA posted mileage figures.

The mileage chart on page 22 shows the most fuel efficient cars and trucks available in the United States. As you can see, many of these vehicle models have been available for years and would be excellent choices whether you are looking for a new or used vehicle.

Yes, you will achieve higher mileage figures with a hybrid vehicle than with a similar sized conventional vehicle, but the mileage chart shows there are still some excellent new and used non-hybrid vehicles that will double the mileage you are probably getting right now with your SUV or truck.

Many households are going to reconsider their mix of vehicles and how they are used now that high gas prices and long gas lines are back. Instead of two or three large SUVs in the driveway, I think many homeowners will utilize their newest SUV to combine multiple short trips and errands each day into a single multi-functional trip each week. If it’s not plowing through the snow, hauling something, or carrying three or more passengers, it will probably be parked. I think most households will be trading in at least one of their cars in the next year for a downsized and very fuel efficient vehicle for short errands and daily commute, which may also include ride sharing for the first time.

Jeep Liberty
Jeep Liberty
Honda Civic
Honda Civic

If you really need a vehicle that gets great gas mileage for a very long daily commute, there are still some excellent buys without going the hybrid route. For example, the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and GEO Prizm have been quietly providing 30 to 40 miles-per gallon for their owners for years.

If you really want fuel economy, more than half of all new cars sold in Europe, where gasoline prices are even higher, have diesel engines. A diesel engine is heavier and more expensive than a conventional gasoline engine. Diesel engines operate at a lower RPM, yet still exceed the torque of a gasoline engine. Lower operating RPM means much longer engine life and much higher combustion efficiency. Many large diesel truck owners easily achieve more than 300,000 miles before major engine repairs are required, and many luxury European diesel cars provide this same reliability. Vehicles with a diesel engine option are returning to the American shores, with the introduction of the diesel-powered Jeep Liberty in 2005.

Although Jeep has been offering this diesel option for years in Europe, this is the first time it has been available in the United States. Volkswagen has offered a diesel option for their popular Jetta for several years now, and other car manufacturers will be getting on the bandwagon since new diesel engine technology has significantly reduced engine noise, and greatly improved acceleration and cold starting performance.

Part of the improved mileage being achieved by hybrid vehicles is due to their lower weights and much more efficient transmissions and drives. These performance improvements are also starting to find their way into conventional vehicle designs to increase their fuel mileage. It is clear that we are finally starting to take energy and fuel efficiency more seriously. However, it’s unfortunate that it took a national catastrophe on top of already developing shortages in the world oil markets to move us in that direction.


Jeff Yago is a licensed professional engineer and certified energy manager with over 25-years experience in the energy conservation field. He is also certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners as a licensed solar installer and a licensed journeyman electrician. He has extensive solar thermal and solar photovoltaic system design experience and has authored numerous articles and texts.

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How To Beat High Gas Prices

Have you been getting dizzy watching the numbers roll by on the gas-pump display? Are you graphic of gas pump considering a second mortgage to finance your driving habit? Maybe not, but there's no denying that gas prices are pinching our pocketbooks.

Combining trips is one way to reduce gas costs, but there are some additional tips related to car maintenance and behind-the-wheel habits that can also help you save gas and money. They come to us in the article below, which is adapted from the Union of Concerned Scientists monthly "Greentips" newsletter, a very nice, user-friendly service


Engine Maintenance — Change your oil, spark plugs, and air filter regularly. And go to a repair shop if your "Check Engine" light comes on—a faulty oxygen sensor could be the cause, lowering your mileage significantly.

Tires — Keep your tires properly inflated and consider replacing worn tires with low-rolling-resistance (LRR) tires. LRR picture of tire mechanic with tires tires roll more easily on the road, reducing the amount of energy needed to move the car forward. Green Seal provides a list of LRR tire manufacturers (opens as PDF).

Engine Oil — Use the grade of motor oil recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. Motor oil that bears the American Petroleum Institute's "Energy Conserving" performance label contains friction-reducing additives that save gas by letting your engine work more easily.





BEAT HIGH GAS PRICES THROUGH EFFICIENT DRIVING

Avoid Idling — If you have to sit in your car for more than one minute, shut off the engine. In cold weather, let the car warm up for no more than 30 seconds then drive gently until the engine is warm.

Drive Smoothly — Slow, even acceleration and braking can improve gas mileage. Avoiding those quick, heavy-footed starts from stop lights and stop signs will really rack up your fuel savings. And if you can anticipate the need to slow down for stalled traffic, traffic signals, and other reasons—and start slowing down earlier rather than later—you'll save even more gas.

Reduce Your Speed — Driving at the posted highway speed limit saves fuel because a car's engine usually works less efficiently at higher highway speeds.

Use Overdrive — If your vehicle's transmission has overdrive, use it once you reach the speed recommended in your owner's manual. This will lower engine speed and reduce fuel consumption.

Maintain a Consistent Speed — Using cruise control on the freeway will let you maintain your speed and maximize your highway-driving efficiency.

Limit Air Conditioning — Your car's engine must drive the air-conditioning graphic of woman driving compressor when the A/C is on, which causes the engine to work harder and consume more fuel. On the other hand, having the windows open at high speed creates drag on the vehicle, and that also reduces mileage. Your best mileage will come from having the windows rolled up and using just the car's fan (with the A/C off). Open windows at lower speeds are not as much of a drag problem.

Park in the Shade — This minimizes fuel evaporation while the car sits. In summer months, the shade will help keep your car cool, which means you'll have less need for the A/C once you're back on the road.

Be Weight Conscious — Whenever possible, stow items in the trunk or cargo area instead of on a roof rack, which creates drag. And don't carry around items you don't need; for every 100 pounds of extra weight in your car, fuel economy decreases by 1-2 percent.

Track Gas Mileage — Keep track of your average mileage and have your car checked if the average decreases. To calculate your mileage, divide the number of miles traveled since your last fill-up by the number of gallons of gas you just purchased to fill up. An easy way to keep track of how many miles you've driven since the last time you got gas is to reset the trip meter to 0 after each fill-up. Alternately, you can note the odometer reading and number of gallons purchased each time you fill up and do the math.

Additional Resources:

* US EPA - Tips to Save Gas and Improve Mileage (PDF)
* FuelEconomy.gov - Find Fuel-Efficient Cars to Buy

The Union of Concerned Scientists is an independent nonprofit alliance of more than 100,000 concerned citizens and scientists. They combine scientific analysis with innovative thinking to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world. Visit them at www.ucsusa.org. For more Greentips or to subscribe, see the Greentips section of their web site.

~ ~ ~

OK, that tip about reducing unnecessary weight is NOT a reason to ditch your mother-in-law on the family trip.

Here's one final tip: RELAX! A tense, competitive commuter is more likely to engage in fuel-wasting fast starts, quick stops and zippy lane changes. It's not easy, but if you can figure out a way to see your driving time as a chance to relax and, say, listen to a book on tape, then you'll save gas, enjoy your time behind the wheel more, and be healthier too. Stress is a killer, man!

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