Fuel Economy - Saving Gasoline Redux
Okay, so I missed a few of the biggies in my last article on saving gas. Here they are.
First, slow down. Remember the old 55 mph speed limits on freeways that started back in the 70's and went the way of the Pinto? Turns out that wasn't (just) about "55 saves lives" but actually was about "55 saves gas."I know, it doesn't rhyme, but it can save you some cash. For example, in its April 2006 issue Consumer Reports found that one car increased its gas mileage 5 mpg when it dropped the speed 10 mph. So the car went from 30 mpg to 35 mpg when its speed dropped from 75 to 65 mph. It went up again to 40 mpg at 55 mph.
 Next, don't accelerate when climbing a hill. The engine works harder then, so apparently it eats up the gas. Think about how much more energy it takes you to run up a hill versus just walking. Great for using up calories and losing weight; not so great for saving gas.
Don't slam on the brakes. Try to think about winning as filling up the tank less often rather than getting where you're going 7 seconds earlier. Then you'll be less likely to weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, and all the other ups and downs that suck down gas. As an added bonus, the smoother you drive, the longer your brakes, tires, engine, and transmission will last.
Keep down the wind resistance. When you leave the carrier on the top of your car, or decorate your antenna with a flag or ping-pong ball in a hat (what is up with those things?), you cause extra drag on your car which the engine has to work harder to overcome. Guess where it gets the extra energy to do that? Right--directly from your wallet into the gas tank.
So there's the next installment on how to save gas. If gas gets much more expensive, I'll write another one on saving money by using a horse and buggy. Until then, enjoy that fossil fuel. Carefully.
NEW: Air Conditioning and Gas Use
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