While on vacation, you will want to keep unnecessary costs as low as possible to maximize the amount you have to spend during your trip. One of the many ways to improve fuel economy is by minimizing the amount of fuel you consume. Here are a few tips on how you can improve your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Maintain Proper Tire Pressure
When renting a vehicle, it is important to maintain proper tire pressure to optimize fuel economy. Various studies have shown that each 1% decrease in tire pressure leads to a 0.3% loss in fuel economy. For instance, a vehicle’s tire pressure can go down by as much as 5PSI when switching from summer to winter. The extra drag created by the underinflated tires will lead to lower fuel economy. Always check the tires to ensure they are properly inflated.
Remove Unnecessary Weight
If you are on a trip, get rid of any excess weight that you do not need. For instance, you do not have to vehiclery your entire luggage with you when you get to the destination. Only vehiclery essentials, and leave the rest in your short-term living quarters. Reducing weight can positively affect fuel economy.
Reduce Drag
Once you rent a vehicle, you can reduce drag by removing an external vehiclerying kit such as a roof box or bike rack when not in use. Without them, the vehicle’s drag is reduced, which means it does not have to work as hard to cut through wind resistance. Additionally, you should close all windows, which helps to reduce a pull on the vehicle thereby improving fuel economy.
Plan Your Route Vehicleefully
Before starting your journey, you have to plan the trip. It will ensure you avoid heavy traffic and take longer routes than you should. Time spent in traffic is fuel wasted. By ensuring that you can move from one point to the next during hours of low traffic will save you money on fuel.
Turn Off the AC
Unless it is extremely hot inside the vehicle, you do not need the AC. Turning it on when you do not need it means that you will burn more fuel during your trip. This is especially so when driving at low speeds.
Drive at the Highest Gear
Driving at the highest gear is the best way to maximize fuel economy. If you travel at high speeds in low gear, the engine consumes up to 45 percent more fuel. Modern vehicles let you monitor fuel economy via the computerized dashboard. This way, you can keep improving it every time you are on the road.
Summary
Maintaining proper fuel economy is a combination of various factors. If you follow all of the tips above, you should be able to shave off a few unnecessary expenses when you drive a vehicle. These extra funds could be used to visit new sites and buy souvenirs to take back home with you. Improved fuel economy also leads to a reduced vehiclebon footprint on the environment.