Fuel Economy Tip - Your Right Foot Makes All the Difference
August 10th, 2006 | by Brian Carr |Today’s tip will point out three relatively simple driving habits you can change - all of which involve your right foot - that can help increase your car’s gas mileage by up to 33%.
1. Watch your speed.
According to FuelEconomy.gov, for every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph, you are essentially reducing your fuel economy around 6%. So, when you’re driving down the highway at 75 mph, you’re reducing your gas mileage by about 18%. In terms of money, that’s the same as paying an additional $.54 per gallon.
2. Nice and steady accelerations.
When you accelerate, especially from an idle, you shouldn’t just slam your foot to the floor and get up to speed as quickly as physically possible. At the same time, you shouldn’t accelerate so slowly that you’re bogging down the engine.
Using nice, steady pressure on the accelerator when getting up to speed can help increase your gas mileage by up to 25%, according to Edmonds.com.
3. Stop tapping your brakes when going down the road.
What I mean by this is, make sure that you give proper distance between yourself and the car in front of you. This way you are better able to anticipate driving conditions and can coast if traffic in front of you momentarily slows, as opposed to having to always jam on your brakes at the last second.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a solid statistic that shows how much you reduce your fuel economy by always tapping your brakes as your going down the road, but I did find a statistic that states “jackrabbit driving” (i.e. fast on the accelerator and brakes) will reduce your gas mileage by up to 33%.
So, if you can take care of these three items, you should see a substantial increase in your vehicle’s fuel economy and in the amount of money you save on your car’s gas bill.
2 Responses to “Fuel Economy Tip - Your Right Foot Makes All the Difference”
By Hugh Hemington on Aug 25, 2006 | Reply
I’ve read this 60MPH thing for years, but in LA, the peripheral freeways have an average speed of 70+ much of the time. Drive 60 and you’re a grill ornament! Many new cars feature 5-speed auto transmissions. Doesn’t it make more sense to drive at the speed where your highest gear runs the engine at the optimal RPM? Or does it make more sense to drive at the lowest speed your transmission will hold the highest gear?
Any actual studies on this stuff — by vehicle?
By Brian Carr on Aug 25, 2006 | Reply
I would assume it would be driving in the highest gear, even if you were going A BIT faster. However, it would be interesting to see the break-even point.
Check out this link for a better look at gas mileage across various speeds and gears.