In the current scenario, where maintaining a vehicle is more expensive than a Premier League ticket, saving money on fuel becomes significant for every car owner. This is why understanding concepts like MPG (miles per gallon) and fuel efficiency is vital. Find out more about these concepts in this ultimate guide to saving fuel. Learn what affects your vehicle’s fuel consumption and how you can save on fuel costs.
The Basics Of MPG: What Is It?
The full form of MPG is miles per gallon. The MPG is a measure of the distance a vehicle can travel on one gallon of fuel. It is the simplest way of measuring fuel efficiency and is key to understanding the ways of saving fuel. The higher the MPG, the less amount of fuel your car consumes for traveling a particular distance. Understanding the MPG is important for the following reasons:
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It helps you to choose vehicles with better fuel economy, saving your fuel costs.
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You could choose a vehicle with reduced CO2 emissions, and contribute to environmental protection.
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You can easily compare the fuel efficiency of different models and make smarter purchase decisions.
So, what is a good MPG figure for different vehicles? Although it depends on the vehicle type, fuel type, and your driving habits, the following are some good ranges:
- Petrol cars: An MPG of 35-40 is average, while over 50 is the most efficient.
- Diesel cars: They usually offer higher MPG, with an average of 50 to 60.
- Electric cars: For them, the MPG is measured as MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). For EVS, it usually exceeds 100 MPGe.
How To Reduce The Fuel Consumption Of Your Vehicle?
The rising cost of fuel has been a common concern among car owners in the UK. It is easy to save your expenses on Tyres Milton Keynes by choosing cheaper options. But how does one save on fuel costs? Provided below are eight top tips to save your fuel costs:
Regular Maintenance:
Servicing and maintaining your vehicle regularly improves your vehicle’s efficiency. It can also improve fuel efficiency. Routine servicing should include tyre maintenance too. Ensure they are inflated properly, as overinflation and under inflation can lead to increased fuel consumption.
Gentle Acceleration:
A major cause of excessive fuel consumption is over speeding. Plus, over-speeding can also lead to increased risks of collisions and accidents. Overall, it is always advised to drive within the speed limit. Ensure that you are accelerating gradually. This is essential to maintain your vehicle’s proper functioning as well as to reduce fuel consumption.
Swift Gear Changes:
Driving with incorrect gear will also lead to increased fuel consumption. For example, if you are driving at a speed of 40 mph, the second gear is not suitable at all! Hence, shifting the gears according to speed levels is essential. For a high MPG, drive your vehicle in the highest possible gear within the speed limit (in case you need to accelerate).
Cruise Control:
The best way to avoid fuel consumption is to keep your momentum. This means you need to keep your car moving at the right speed. Such situations completely depend on the traffic conditions, but you need to anticipate the traffic to avoid losing momentum. Slowing down suddenly and then having to accelerate will naturally cause your car to use more fuel.
Reduce Drag:
Leaving your roof bars and roof box on creates wind resistance. This leads to the ‘drag’ effect, causing your car to consume more fuel. The drag increases the faster you drive in such conditions. A recent study has revealed that an empty roof rack increases drag by 16% if you drive at 75 mph. At this speed, a roof box increases drag by 39%. The same effect could occur when you are driving with your windows open.
Reduce AC Usage:
Using the air conditioning or the heating uses engine power. This leads to increased fuel consumption. Fuel consumption increases even more when your air-conditioning is not in optimal condition. So, invest in an Air Conditioning Service Milton Keynes to improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Avoid using the AC and the heating as much as possible to reduce extra fuel consumption.
Less Load:
The heavier a vehicle, the more fuel it will use. This is because the engine needs more power to move a heavier vehicle, causing it to consume more fuel. A lighter load, however, might not make much difference to the MPG. Yet, avoid keeping unnecessary items in your boot to reduce the vehicle’s load. The impact is felt as you use your car in the long run.
Combine Journeys:
A warm engine is an efficient one, using up less fuel. Plan your trips to combine shorter ones into a single round trip. This reduces the number of cold starts in your vehicle, which usually uses up too much fuel.
The rising expenses of car maintenance have been a growing cause of concern among motorists. As a start, you can follow this guide to save up on your fuel expenses. Besides this, you can invest in cheap tyres and regular servicing to lower the maintenance costs of your car.
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