Business World

Gas mileage tips for cost-effective trips

- Mark Louis F. Ferrolino

DRIVING ITS WAY to practicabi­lity, the way how decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph,” the site consumers look at vehicle models today is no longer explains. Consequent­ly, every 5 mph a car drives over as easy as finger-pointing what cars display great 50 mph is like paying additional gallon for gas.

aesthetics and impressive road performanc­e. Car Avoiding hauling cargo on car’s roof and removing shoppers prefer purchasing vehicles that are not just excess weight in trunk also make sense. Hauling attractive but also cost-effective. cargo on the roof increases aerodynami­c drag or wind In a survey conducted by Ford Motor Company last resistance which lowers fuel economy, while an extra year, it shows that 80% of Filipino consumers consider 100 pounds in the vehicle can reduce mileage by about fuel efficiency as more important than power. Unsurprisi­ngly, 1%. It is advisable to remove external cargo container 87% of the respondent­s cited that the reason when not in use, and avoid keeping unnecessar­y items for prioritizi­ng this is the need to save money. Other top in the vehicle to save fuel and money.

reasons mentioned are attributed to high fuel prices Apart from driving efficientl­y, keeping the vehicle (64%), and an interest in being more environmen­tfriendly in shape from its engine down to air filters help the car (61%). to consume less fuel. “Fixing a serious maintenanc­e Considerin­g the inconsiste­nt rise of gas prices in the problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve market, increasing the fuel efficiency and gas mileage is your mileage by as much as 40%,” the site says. This the best way to save the pocket from further expenses. is the mere reason why keeping the engine properly Gas mileage refers to the number of miles traveled by a tuned is important.

car in a particular amount of fuel. Therefore, the lower Meanwhile, to improve gas mileage by 0.6% up the mileage, the more fuel, and the higher the money to 3%, tires should be properly inflated with the right needed to run the car. pressure. The site explains that under-inflated tires The run cost of every car is affected by several can lower gas mileage by about 0.2% for every 1 psi factors like vehicle’s condition, size, shape, engine type, drop in the average pressure of all tires. The vehicle’s fuel size, and driving style. Aside from the benefit of proper tire pressure is usually found on the glove box saving money at every petrol pump, achieving car’s fuel or indicated in the owner’s manual.

efficiency help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Lastly, replacing the clogged air filters improves carbon footprint that cause global climate change. the performanc­e of the car. “Replacing a clogged air FuelEconom­y.gov, a government-controlled Web filter on vehicles with fuel- injected, computer- controlled site in United States that provides fuel economy informatio­n, gasoline engines — such as those manufactur­ed enumerates some gas mileage tips that can from the early 1980s to the present — or diesel help reduce the amount of gas use. engines can improve accelerati­on,” FuelEconom­y.gov First on the list is driving efficientl­y or achieving says. In addition, a clean air filter can save up to 10% car’s maximum productivi­ty with minimum expense. on fuel cost.

This includes driving sensibly by avoiding speeding, Other than this list of measures and reminders rapid accelerati­on and braking. The site says that it can to achieve fuel efficiency and increase gas mileage, lower gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway planning and combining trips can save more time speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic. and money. Smartly planning the trip or route can Observing speed limit comes next. “While each reduce the distance and the amount of time travel, and vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different considerin­g carpool can technicall­y cut the cost of trips speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually as a whole. —

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