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Posts Tagged ‘fuel economy’

As fuel is getting more expensive every day those of you with a long commute or plenty of driving miles can feel the burden of increasing gas expenses.

Luckily there is easy ways to lower your gas bill and I’ll list seven that are easy to do and does not require you to invest money in a new car or snake oil add-on kits. I’ll show you seven ways that are readily available and easy to do.

1. MAINTAIN PROPER TIRE PRESSURE

Driving with tires not properly inflated increases the rolling resistance of your tires and spoils your fuel economy. It also can make a tire overheat and blow.

Inflate the tires to the max pressure mentioned in your cars manuals, and periodically check the pressure using a reliable pressure gauge.

Many hypermilers inflate their tires more than that, to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewalls of the tires themselves. This can be as much as 50 percent more than the vehicle manufacturers recommended pressure and results in additional gas savings due to a reduced rolling resistance.

The downside is a harder and less comfortable ride. I can’t however recommend you to do this, even if it IS safe, as there is a risk of uneven tire wear in some conditions.

2. GET RID OF ROOF RACKS, TRAILERS AND SKI BOXES

If you thought it’s too much of a hassle to remove the roof rack or ski box when it’s not needed, think again! The same goes for driving with an empty trailer or a pick up truck with no flatbed cover.

Anything attached or tied to the outside of the car disturbs the aerodynamics resulting in reduced fuel economy. Always remove roof racks, bicycle holders, ski boxes and trailers when not needed.

3. SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITION

Even if some argue that the air conditioning unit does not affect fuel mileage, it actually uses lots of energy. That energy is taken directly from your tank and from your fuel mileage. If possible, turn it off completely. If that’s uncomfortable set it to a higher temperature as that will use less fuel.

TIPS: Park the car in the shadow, have the doors open for a minute before leaving, drive at night if going for a longer trip in hot weather.

Just remember, driving at high speed with the windows open is even worse for the fuel economy than using the A/C.

4. BECOME A BETTER DRIVER

The way you drive is one of the biggest factors affecting your gas mileage. Keep your top speed below 60MPH or 100KM/H, avoid breaking by letting the car roll to a stop when you’re not in the way for other traffic and do not push the pedal to the metal when accelerating.

5. WALK

Most of the time if you’re not going a long distance, walking or biking is a good alternative, and it’s a lot more economic than driving. You’ll not only save fuel but also the wear and tear on the car that can cost as much as the fuel itself.

6. FIX ALL FUEL LEAKS

Obviously if you have a fuel leak you will spill your hard earned gas on the ground costing you money and polluting the environment. Plug all fuel leaks immediately.

TIP: If your gas cap is missing or broken and you live in a hot environment, especially if you park in the sun and the car gets really hot, a lot of gas will evaporate and escape through the missing or broken cap into the air. The loss can be sizable and the fuel vapors harms the envirnment.

7. CAR POOL

Sharing a car on your daily commute can be a fair amount of hassle compared to going alone but you’ll save more gas and money than any of the other tips except for actually walking or biking.

Just adding another person to your car for the commute will save you half your monthly expences.

ADDITIONAL GAS SAVING IDEAS

The above tips are some of the easiest, most widely available, low cost ways to save lots of gas. And that’s my no gadgets required bag of tricks.

There’s many more ways you can save gas. You can get a more fuel efficient vehicle (hybrid, diesel, smaller vehicle), improve your driving style, make adjustments to your cars aerodynamics, use eco tires, plan your trip, plan for extreme weather and much more that this article is too short to cover

There’s also ways you could end up NOT saving gas, like if you install on of those fuel saving gadgets advertisied everywhere. They usually cost a lot but give barely measurable improvements in MPG.

To keep track of your actual gas mileage you can use a handy online gas calculator

Now why don't we consider the topic of used cars. New cars or used cars, which are the better deal? Keep in mind that a shiny new car loses value the second the tires touch the pavement outside the car lot.  The answer is a lot easier with that information. Since a car is a depreciating asset, meaning in general cars lose value with time, the best money decision is to purchase the car when it will tend to lose less value. Balance that with the time when the car won’t need as much repair work. The slightly used car is about the best for both concern. The big hit to car value has already occurred. Someone else absorbed that loss. The car likely won’t need constant repair work, and the warranty is still probably valid.

Continuing the discussion about volkswagen used cars : Many sources provide these slightly used cars.  People who buy or lease new cars trade in their old ones to the dealer. Those vehicles are looking for new owners. Companies like Carmax specialize in used automobiles, while eBay has an entire subsection dedicated to car auctions, mostly for used vehicles. Speaking of auctions, most cities have a lot of auctions taking place every day. These include police auctions of impounded vehicles as well as dealer auctions that might involve, for example, cars purchased from car rental companies. 

When dealing with used cars one will also want to consider increase fuel economy and Kelly Blue Book is a valuable resource to determine the relative fair price of a used car. Categories include make, model, year and condition from poor to excellent. It also breaks down the prices depending on whether the car is being sold by a dealer or by a private individual. Because dealers pay overhead costs that private individuals don’t, that distinction is shown.

Have you thought about the financing for the used car? The better idea is to save money to make a cash purchase.  No matter how low of an interest rate or how low the monthly payments, nothing helps the monthly budget like not having to make any car payment. It’s nice to own a top of the line auto. But bells and whistles can cost a lot of money. Buying a car like that used can not only help the budget, but creates less stress. Theft, wear and accidents are bigger worries for people with fancy cars. Not that used car owners like to drive junk, but a little ding or dent means less on a simpler model. 

With wealth it’s not what you buy. It’s based on what you save and on net worth. There are people living hand to mouth even though they earn a lot of money. Good used cars help the budget.

The world of hybrid cars has a new king in the 2010 Toyota Prius. The Prius continually gets the best gas mileage of all hybrids today.The little Toyota is fitted with a 1.the displacement is up 0.3 liters.5L.Due to the increase of torque, the larger engine in the new Prius has better fuel economy.Horsepower is now up from 110 to 160. 

Past versions will be eclipsed by the 2010 Prius, which is up by 4 MPG.Simple gas saving habits can help the Prius to get over 75 MPG!Fuel Economy is improved by a redesigned powerplant and the lighter body weight. The stiffer body helps deduct the noise and vibration from the engine as well as the transmission.

Engineers have refined the steering by giving the Prius disc brakes all around. Something else exciting about the new Prius is that many of the optional features on the previous model now come standard on the 2010 model, such as: automatic air conditioning, a CD stereo, power windows, locks, and doors. Some cool new items include a rearview camera, LED headlights, Solar Panels on the sunroof, and a Satellite Navigation System.

The battery recharging system has also been upgraded. The new Toyota Prius graduated at the highest of its class in safety standards. Maintaining distance cruise control, parking assist, and safety connect systems like on-star are all accessories included on the Prius.

See the new Prius and a nice inventory of other hybrids at the Riverside County Toyota Dealer.  Or view an article at at Best New Autos on the Prius winning some awards.  The Prius has been named top green car for the past few years.  And why shouldn’t it.  The Prius gets great gas mileage which saves gas, in turn putting less strain on the environment.  Not to mention is is a low emissions vehicle.  The PRius is an honored car that does a great job of keeping its resale value.  So if you cannot afford to buy a brand new 2010 Prius, go ahead and look for a nice used model.  You will pay less, get a capable car, and even get a used car warranty if you buy a certified Toyota hybrid.

Most of us have to keep an eye on our outgoings nowadays and one major expense is running our cars. The price of petrol seems to be forever going up and so there are a few rules we can follow to help save on fuel.

One thing a lot of us are guilty of is putting our foot down when we accelerate. If you drive an automatic it is best to accelerate at a fairly moderate speed in order to give the transmission time to move to the higher gears. Also if you accelerate away and brake right away this is a big waste of fuel.

One good way to save fuel is simply reduce your speed. As speed increases the fuel decreases!

Under inflated tyres are often overlooked. If they are not at the correct pressure they will need to use more petrol to keep the car moving. Get yourself a good tyre gauge and check the tyres at least once a month. One tip is to check them when they are cold because driving the car will warm up the tyres and also the air inside which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading.

Check your air filter, a dirty one will restrict the flow of air to the engine which will affect performance and also economy.
 
New wheels and tyres may look really good and they can even improve the way that a car handles, but if they are wider they could create more resistance and increase fuel consumption. So it is worth thinking about keeping the old tyres for long road trips which will give you a far smoother ride and far better economy.

If you are thinking of changing your car then maybe this will be the ideal time to downsize a little. Nissan and Toyota are two of the leading manufacturers who have developed highly fuel efficient cars.

This may not seem obvious, but take a look in your car and give it a bit of a spring clean. We are all often guilty of hoarding rubbish in our cars and its surprising how this extra baggage mounts up in weight. The more weight that is in the car the more fuel is burnt.

Finally, more than likely not a very popular thing to say, but whenever possible why not simply walk?!!

More and more often when people pull up to the gas pump to fill up their cars, they cringe at the total that racks up so quickly in this day and age of high gas prices. As a result, most everyone is looking to save money at the pumps and trying to get better mileage out of each gallon they buy. There are many articles and reports that talk about ways to increase gas mileage, but there is one form of saving on gas expenses that is overlooked frequently, and that is to take advantage of the discounts and rebates you can get when you use certain gasoline service station credit cards.

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A gasoline credit card that is issued by one of the major gas station chains works just like any other credit card but the difference is that these cards are designed to encourage brand loyalty. In most cases, they can only be used at gas stations that are owned by the same chain and in the convenience stores that they operate. Gas and oil companies have been offering these types of credit cards for many decades and the primary reason was to encourage people to only buy their gasoline from that particular brand.

Several years ago, a couple of the gasoline service station companies added a new twist to their gasoline credit cards and started to offer rebates. This further encouraged people to stick to using one particular brand of gasoline so that they could rack up enough purchases to qualify for their rebate.

These days, almost all of the national brands of gas stations now offer a credit card that has some type of rewards program or rebate to their customers when they use them. With the high gasoline prices today, it makes even more sense to take some time to find out exactly what is being offered by each of these companies and determine which can provide the best benefit for you.

It can be a good idea to go ahead and apply for more than one gasoline service station brand of gas credit card. This way, consumers still have a choice and can check to see which gas station is offering the best gas prices at the pump, but they can still take advantage of the rewards that come with the card. At the same time, if you travel a lot, having two or three different gas cards is an even better idea because some brands of gas stations are not as prevalent in some areas as others.

Some of the gas credit cards that are issued by the gasoline companies will sweeten the deal for new customers and will offer a higher percentage of the purchase as a rebate during the first three to six months after opening a new account with them. After that initial period, the rebate percentage will drop, so it is a good idea to check and compare both the initial offering and the long term rebate plan in order to make the best decision.

If you want to save the maximum through these gasoline service station credit cards, then it is imperative that you pay the full balance every month and always pay the bill on time. If you end up carrying a balance, then you will be charged interest and it is likely that the interest charges will eat up any savings you might have enjoyed through the rebate program.

Soaring gasoline prices are on everyone’s mind these days. At one time you may have been able to fill up your tank for less than $50 but those times are long gone and no one knows if gas will ever reach those prices again. But there are ways that you can save your budget. There are alternative fuels and driving practices that can keep you away from the gas pumps. It is going to take some reading on your part but it is well worth it in the end.

To find out how you can cut your costs at the Gasoline Service Station: “Click Here Now“

Americans have been called a people who are simply in love with their automobiles. But over the course of the last few years, as it has gotten to be more and more expensive to fill up the tank at gas stations across the country, sometimes it seems that the love affair with the car has gotten to be rather rocky. Experts say that gasoline prices will not likely be coming down much in the near future, so it seems that people will need to find ways to adjust to the increasingly high price of gasoline.

There are numerous ways in which the high gasoline prices of today impact people and society in general. Certainly, there is an increase in prices across the board because the most basic cost of transportation has risen and businesses are left with no option but to pass along their higher costs to their customers, whether that customer is another company or the end consumer.

When gasoline prices begin to rise, soon the cost of all kinds of other things increase too because of the higher cost of fuel to manufacture and distribute goods. Then the companies have no choice but to pass their increased costs on until the retail prices paid by consumers is impacted, and in most cases it is the end consumer who will ultimately end up paying through the nose for it all.

Both companies and individuals are currently busy seeking the best solutions they can find to try to reduce gas consumption and get better fuel economy for their vehicles. The high gasoline prices that have already arrived and which are predicted to rise even higher have motivated more and more people to look at alternative fuels.

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Companies that are very much reliant on gasoline and diesel fuel to operate are searching for viable solutions to help stem the tide of rising costs and keep their prices from skyrocketing, which in turn will help them to remain competitive in an economy that is struggling under the burden of higher gas prices. Some of these companies are replacing their fleets of vehicles with new cars and trucks that are more fuel efficient and deliver better fuel economy. Other companies are “going green” and looking to biofuels as one of their solutions, while still others are adding hybrid vehicles to their fleets.

Drivers are increasingly on the lookout for viable solutions that can help them offset the ever fluctuating gasoline prices at the pumps these days. More and more people are trying to downsize from mini-vans and SUVs and are buying smaller new cars that are more fuel efficient and less expensive to operate. Others are opting for car pooling, riding their bike, or taking the bus to work whenever possible to ease the pain of filling up.

Gasoline prices are on everyone’s minds these days. Most people have had to double their weekly budgeted amount of money so that they can fill their car’s gas tanks. That means that there is less money for groceries, medical expenses and living expenses. The gas crisis has hit everyone’s pockets. Unfortunately there is not an easy solution in sight for lowering gas prices. It may be time to take matters into your own hands and rethink how you drive. You may have to turn to alternative fuel sources. You have to educate yourself if you want to keep your budget.

If you want to learn how to cut down the amount you spend on gas: “Click Here Now“

During the course of the last 30 years in America, the quantity of imported oil and fuel products that is needed to meet the demand has grown to more than triple. With each passing year, the United States has increased its imports of petroleum fuels to the point that the country imports in excess of twelve million barrels of crude oil on a daily basis, in an attempt to keep up with the American lifestyle that is so vehicle dependent.

The 12 million barrels of imported oil makes up a bit more than half of the 20 million barrels of crude oil that is consumed each day across the country. The vast majority of the fuels produced are used to power various types of transportation modes that rely on fossil fuel and the largest portion of transportation fuel consumption is attributed to consumers who use the gasoline to power their favorite vehicles. Unfortunately, the faster the United States increases it usage of and reliance on oil and gas, the faster the oil reserves of the planet will be depleted.

Those in the industry are warning that in another 30 years the world supply of crude oil is expected to be significantly depleted and will no longer be able to meet the demands for petroleum-based fuels, unless there are drastic changes made in the way the major transportation methods are fueled. However, the motivation to find viable fuel alternatives seems to be low, as Americans continue to drive as much as ever, even while grumbling about the high cost of a gallon of gas.

It seems that Americans are more willing to sacrifice in other areas than they are to change their driving habits or make drastic changes in the type of transportation that they rely on to get around and get on with their daily lives. This causes those industry experts to wonder how high gasoline prices must go before people start to seriously look at renewable energy sources and alternative methods of transportation.

Fed up paying silly prices for your gas? Find out how to half your costs: “Click Here“

While there have been a few alternative fuels that have started to crop up and are bringing with them some promise, with regard to improving fuel economy through combining them with traditional gasoline or as a replacement, there still are many obstacles to widespread use and some drawbacks. The fact is that some of these fuel alternatives are simply too costly and cannot be viewed as viable alternatives, unless the price of gasoline more than doubles from the current price.

Some of the other, more cost effective fuels don’t seem to be fully capable of meeting the high expectations and demands of today’s consumers. At this stage, it appears that these alternative fuel options have not been sufficiently developed to the point where they are truly capable of being competitive, in terms of matching the availability of gasoline that American consumers are accustomed to having.

Even the most optimistic of experts say that in forty years the earth will effectively be drained of crude oil resources, leaving many questions still to be answered about how the consumption of gasoline will change in the not too distant future. The cars of the future will need to be powered by different fuels than what the world has become accustomed to, but it is still to be seen which of the alternative fuel options will take center stage and meet the needs of transportation.

There is not too many places you can go to in the world today and not hear a discussion on the gasoline crisis that grips everyone. Gas prices are in a constant state of flux. People are spending more and more of their paychecks on filling the tank of their vehicle. There is not much you can do about the price of gas but there are ways you can change your life so that gas prices do not have such a stranglehold on your budget. By learning all you can about saving gas and alternative fuels you will be doing a great part.

For more information about saving money on gas: “Click Here Now“

You would almost have to be a hermit in this day and age not to be aware of the significant increase in gas prices in the US during the last few years. This is true even for people who don’t drive or don’t own their own gasoline powered vehicles because even if they haven’t experienced “future shock” when they fill up their empty gas tanks, they are still feeling the ramifications of higher gasoline prices.

Because virtually all goods that are purchased at stores are distributed by trucks that haul loads from the manufacturer to distribution warehouses, and eventually to the retail stores, the soaring price of gas has affected the price of consumer goods. Even with a small resurgence in the use of the railroads to move products across the country, there is still a need for trucking to get the items to the stores.

On top of paying higher prices for just about everything in the stores these days, the cost of many services that also rely on transportation are increasing too in order to cover the higher gas prices being paid. This is seen in increases in postage rates and the shipping rates charged by independent shippers, such as FedEx and UPS.

This means that while the higher gas prices are encouraging people to shop online more and more often, when they have their packages shipped to them, they are still paying more for the convenience of having the items delivered to their home. While shopping from home can reduce overall gasoline consumption and perhaps even reduce the dependence on fossil fuels to a small degree, the fact is that as long as there is transportation involved at all in the transaction, somehow the high gasoline prices have to be compensated for and ultimately it is the consumer who is left to pay the bill.

Fed up paying silly prices for your gas? Find out how to half your costs: “Click Here“

Another ramification of the ongoing increases of gas prices is the effect that this is having on the travel industry. Air fares are also on the increase as its not just car fuel tanks that are getting expensive to fill. As a result, consumers who are already feeling the pinch at the gas station and the supermarket are finding it harder and harder to come up with extra funds to travel. When they do travel, an increasing number of people are staying closer to home and exploring the sights locally.

In addition to the housing market already being in a slump because the real estate bubble burst, home prices in suburban areas are also declining because of the high gasoline prices. People want to move closer to their work and as a result there are more homes in the suburbs available and high availability leads to lower prices. At the same time, housing in more urban areas are becoming more sought-after, so prices are either holding or rising slightly in those areas.

There is simply no question that high gas prices have started to impact people in the United States and many have started to look at transportation differently and make changes in how they drive. Industry experts predict that gasoline prices will remain high and will most likely climb even higher and this in turn will mean that many industries will continue to be in a state of fluctuation; constantly changing to keep up with new demands of an economy that is so closely tied to the price of gasoline.

Gasoline prices are on everyone’s minds these days. Most people have had to double their weekly budgeted amount of money so that they can fill their car’s gas tanks. That means that there is less money for groceries, medical expenses and living expenses. The gas crisis has hit everyone’s pockets. Unfortunately there is not an easy solution in sight for lowering gas prices. It may be time to take matters into your own hands and rethink how you drive. You may have to turn to alternative fuel sources. You have to educate yourself if you want to keep your budget.

For more information about saving money on gas: “Click Here Now“

Once again, the price of gas is on the rise. More and more people are finding that they just can’t find any more room in the family budget to spend more on filling up. As a result, an increasing number of people are scrambling to find ways to get more from every gallon of gasoline they put into their cars.

If you want to lower your gas costs “Click Here“

As American’s with liberal driving habits and with many major population areas that are far-flung, requiring a great deal of commuting to and from work, people are struggling with changing their well-ingrained habits. For decades, most Americans have pulled into gas stations and filled up their fuel tank without giving too much thought to the cost, because the price of gasoline was fairly low, especially when compared to what others pay in other countries.

But over the course of the last few years, the gasoline prices in the US have been constantly on the rise and today a single gallon of gas is in the range of $4. People who drive small economy cars could easily have gotten away with filling up for under $20 a few years ago, but now they have to expect to pay $50 to fill their small fuel tank.

Those who drive larger vehicles are feeling the pinch even more, because in addition to having larger tanks that require more gallons of gasoline to fill the fuel tank, these larger vehicles also get less miles out of every gallon of gas because they are not as fuel efficient. People who drive even the mid-sized SUVs and minivans are now often looking at shelling out $100 to fill up.

People who have long commutes are those who are feeling the pain at the gas station more than anyone. They are in a situation where they have to continue paying the high gasoline prices to get to and from work or they have to look at alternatives, such as finding a new job, moving closer to their work, buying a different car with better fuel economy, finding people to commute to work with, using public transportation or massively improving their vehicle’s fuel consumption.

While these are all viable alternatives that people can look to if they need to economize because of the high gasoline prices, the fact of the matter is that not all of these alternatives are practical for every person. With the economy in the midst of a downturn, finding a new job, moving to a new home, or buying a more fuel efficient car are not options that are feasible to everyone.

The fact is that those who are being pinched by higher gas prices don’t always enjoy the flexibility of being able to participate in carpools or to use public transportation options. Unfortunately, this means that there are many who simply don’t have many choices or options in the matter, at least not in the short term, meaning that increasing numbers of people have to make hard choices and sacrifices just to keep their vehicle filled with the gasoline that is required to get them to their jobs and make a living.

Gasoline prices are on everyone’s minds these days. Most people have had to double their weekly budgeted amount of money so that they can fill their car’s gas tanks. That means that there is less money for groceries, medical expenses and living expenses. The gas crisis has hit everyone’s pockets. Unfortunately there is not an easy solution in sight for lowering gas prices. It may be time to take matters into your own hands and rethink how you drive. You may have to turn to alternative fuel sources. You have to educate yourself if you want to keep your budget.

To get information about saving money on gas: “Click Here Now“