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Friday, January 31, 2014

Poor Driving Habits Yields Poor Fuel Economy

The biggest cause of poor fuel economy on the highway is poor driving habits. There is a 41% decrease in fuel economy from 50 mph to 80. That is like paying $1.38 more per gallon of gasoline.

The faster you go above 50 mph, the incrementally worse your miles per gallon is. Also, the harder you accelerate, the more fuel you waste.

When I bought my first car, I installed a vacuum gauge on the engine. This reflected the amount of fuel that was being sucked up in through the intake manifold. I soon learned how to keep the needle in the green (reflected optimal fuel efficiency).
My rules:
1) stay below 55mph (if traffic flow permits);
2) accelerate slowly and steadily (avoid racing to get to the next traffic stop -- leave that to those drivers who don't look or think ahead);
3) ease up on the throttle going downhill while also picking up as much speed as is safe / if traffic flow permits, gradually allow your speed to decrease a bit going uphill.
4) drive with your windows up to reduce wind drag

I, also, organize my life so that I save time and money by minimizing the number of trips I make. And because I live in a metropolis, I plot my route to make as few left turns as possible. And if you have access to INRIX traffic app, then check it as you are departing.

Other gas mileage tips:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/