As a result of escalating fuel prices, there is an ongoing global search for alternative fuel sources that will help reduce a vehicle’s fuel consumption. Hybrid vehicles and fuel cell driven cars are increasingly seen on the roads of developed countries like Japan and the U.S., and even in developing countries like India and China.
While most of the attention has been given to developing these newer generation cars, very little attention has been given to the issue of automobile fuel efficiency. Save on Fuel magazine, which is now over 15 years old, is still one of the leading engines for alternative fuel vehicles. The magazine has close to 30 different engine topics under its category, including Drive Powered by Air, Drive Powered by Hydrogen, Save Money on Gas, etc. But more than likely the most popular is the one about making your car fuel efficient.
Vehicle flying in aerodynamic vortices is one of the principle ways to make your car fuel efficient. Consider vehicle flying in an unaerodynamic supported craft of about the size of a dirt napkin. Let the wind blow across the flat surface of the napkin, causing it to produce drag. Time how long it takes the wind to completely blow across the entire vehicle, not wasting anything.
If you have ever flew in a private jet, you know that it is very slow, and the drag force is incredible. A typical private jet burns between 10-13 GVW, which is highly aerodynamic for drag, and once you add the GVH (Granretch) attached to the back of the jet, the drag is strong. A 100- attendant private party at a 10-16,000 ton operator Jet will fly about 250 nautical miles per hour at 3200lb of drag, and is thus limited to a range of about 2,500 nautical miles. If you then increase the number of people on the vehicle, we have a 10-20 percent drag efficiency problem.
Other ideas for increasing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency are removing excess weight – anything that is not needed in the vehicle can be removed to lighten the load, insure better fuel efficiency, and minimize the friction caused by the add-on accessories. Take off the ski/bike racks. Remove the back seats. Remove the air conditioning. Turn off the extra mirrors. Reduce the papers and packages. Removing an extra 100 pounds will cut 1.5%-2.5% in fuel consumption.
If you are transporting a bicycle or ski bag, consider removing it. It can reduce weight and friction on the highway.
We have all seen the commercials saying you can increase your fuel efficiency if your car has small extra cargo space. Anyone clipping coupons with the comment ” remove this item…it weighs 5lbs” does not know the true weight of the item. Most of these items are foam or vinyl, which weigh approximately 0.5-1 kg. If you have a full-size Chevy Impala, with a bed that goes from frame to frame, the weight approximately goes up. If you remove those items and take away 2 seats, you can cut another 0.5 – 1.5 % in fuel efficiency. Think about it… many of these fuel saving suggestions are either good for the environment (by https://pokergalaxys.com), or are individually very beneficial to each person who engages in the habit of driving to work, or who takes a bike to the shop.
If you want to increase fuel efficiency – especially with a full-size sedan – look into a hybrid system. These hybrid systems can utilize both a battery and a gasoline/exhaust gas source, and can increase mileage by as much as 50%.