Many factors help to maintain and run a car, and among these, fuel is considered one of the most important. A car can’t function and travel without it. So, to get the most from it, you must first understand; what is fuel economy and how it can affect you and your car. A car’s fuel economy is the distance it travels and the amount of fuel consumed. Many changes are being adapted to improve fuel economy, and AIC technology is one of them.
Fuel consumption is usually expressed in the amount of fuel consumed to travel a certain distance. Vehicles’ fuel consumption plays a major role in air pollution. And importing motor fuel can be the most significant part of a nation’s foreign trade, so many nations impose basic requirements for fuel economy to avoid air pollution. The fuel consumption figures are a major deciding factor for buying new or used cars. Fuel prices have reached an all-time high, and it is quite challenging to fulfill our vehicles’ fuel needs and drive styles.
How does fuel economy work?
First, look at the basics to understand how fuel economy works. Fuel economy is essential to how much you get out of what you put into. Even if we talk more straightforwardly, it’s all about how many miles you cover in one fuel tank. Many factors affect fuel economy, such as speed, fuel type, distance, driving style, weight, etc. Almost everything you do makes a huge impact.
Fuel economy is about how far your fuel takes you and what it costs to fuel your car. It all comes down to how much work your engine is doing and has to do. The bigger your car, the higher the revs and the more fuel your car will burn. A bigger engine needs more fuel, and so does a harder-working engine which takes a lot of fuel. It does make sense.
How is Fuel Economy Tested?
The automakers can measure fuel economy through lab and various analytical tests and then report it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Then the EPA reviews the test results and confirms the percentage of those results through its effects.
EPA also offers fuel economy estimates for many vehicles currently on the road.
How can you Calculate your Vehicle’s Fuel Economy?
The gas efficiency of your vehicle, measured in miles per gallon (mpg) or kilometers per liter (kpl), may differ from what the manufacturer estimates. The condition of your vehicle and your driving style, among other factors, will influence how much mileage you get after filling up.
There are some steps to follow to calculate your vehicle’s mpg.
Fill Up and Record
- Fill up your gas tank.
- Then reset your trip odometer or record the master odometer if your car has one.
- Drive your car normally, and let your gas tank run down to half.
- Go to the gas station and fill up your tank again.
- Make a note of how much gas it took to fill the tank.
- Take note of the elapsed trip miles or the new odometer mileage.
Calculation
- Use the trip odometer or subtract the original reading from the new odometer reading to determine the distance traveled.
- Divide the number of miles driven by the number of gallons used to fill the tank. This will give you your car’s average miles per gallon yield.
There’s a formula that is used to calculate mpg of a vehicle:
Mileage = Kilometers run / Amount of Fuel Used
What is good fuel economy?
The EPA’s recent list of the best fuel economy vehicles includes all models with a combined mpg of at least 22 mpg(MPG–Miles per Gallon; the higher a car mpg’s, the more fuel economy it has), but keep in mind that fuel economy factors are different for each type and model of vehicle. Minivans (with 22 mpg) and pickup trucks may have lower mpg overall than subcompact cars.
If you want a fuel-efficient car, it’s necessary to consider every vehicle’s EPA-rated fuel economy; at fueleconomy.gov, you will find fuel economy data from cars of current models and back till 1984 and the best fuel mileage cars of all time. Suppose you are already researching cars and SUVs (sport utility vehicles) at the auto dealership. You can find fuel economy information on your vehicle’s window sticker, along with other useful information, like the fuel economy rating and annual fuel cost.
Tips to Maintain Good Car Fuel Economy
There are many simple methods to improve your car’s fuel economy so you can travel more without fear of consuming too much fuel. Following are the tips:
Keep the Pressure
Always keep the optimal tyre pressure on while driving because it will significantly influence your car’s fuel economy. Employing decreased tyre pressure, the contact area between the road and the tyre will increase. Then friction between the road and the tyre will increase too, resulting in higher fuel consumption. That means tyres will have more inflation and have low fuel consumption but will add the cost of grip and capability to disperse the water over the road.
Geared Up
When accelerating, a car consumes more fuel in lower gears. Make sure you shift into the highest gear without causing the engine to crash. Shift down rather than pressing the throttle if the engine isn’t pulling. For the best combination of speed and economy, shift up at 2,000 rpm (1,500 rpm for diesel). Short the shift to save fuel on an automated with a manual shift.
Car Idling is not Appreciated
Never idle your car because, in this situation, it will consume fuel. So, if the engine is running without going anywhere, you are getting 0 kmpl. So, the car idling is a very poor thing which keeps consuming your car’s fuel without going anywhere . The solution to this is quite simple. Just turn off your engine and then go for an automated engine if you can afford so.
AIC Technology is Future
AIC (Active Intercooler) is a progressive air intake design which helps in effective engine combustion. It works to enhance thermodynamics fundamentals on the internal combustion engine in an innovative way. The effect of AIC regulating a lower temperature for the engine has significantly improved the thermal efficiency of the engine. With better thermal efficiency, the engine can reduce fuel consumption by 10-20% while generating more power. Lesser fuel consumption also lowers harmful emissions by 50% and, ultimately, high fuel economy.
Don’t Coast
Most drivers, especially those driving from the ’70s and ’80s or even earlier, will believe that putting the car into neutral while going through a downhill or getting to a standhill will lessen fuel consumption because the rpm is lower. But this is different, especially regarding modern vehicles. If you flee the car in gear and then reach a stop, the engine will not consume any fuel because it uses the driveline to turn it over rather than using any fuel. Then the car’s computer can cut the fuel injection into the engine. It is a bit smart, but yes, it does work. It is more secure than fleeing the car in gear.
Be diligent and Maintain your Car.
The car’s fuel economy will also be affected if the car’s engine has any problems because a compromised oxygen sensor can decrease your car’s mpg. Thus, regular tune-ups will save you a lot of money at the pump.
Do Some Walk
There’s no need to drive when you can cover the distance with your feet. And, if you visit any overcrowded place like a market or a fair, always park your car some distance away, so you don’t have to look for a parking spot. Doing this can save not only your time but also your fuel.
Trust me, none of these demands extra effort, and you don’t need to be a professional to understand how you can enhance your vehicle’s fuel economy. Follow these tips efficiently to save money in spans of boosted fuel prices.
Conclusion
In this blog, we gave a detailed overview of what fuel economy is, how it works and how you can improve it by following some basic tips. In addition, it’s also better to research before buying any vehicle to ensure you are getting fuel-efficient cars to save you from hefty losses in the future because prevention is always better than cure.