In a country like India that depends majorly on the import of petroleum products, and the resultant high price to the individual and cost to the exchequer, one of the prime concerns of the government as well as individuals is how to increase the mileage of their motor vehicles. According to a recent survey by Ford, it was found that for 6 out of 10 car buyers in India, fuel efficiency is the top most concern with more than 70% responding that saving money as well as environmental concern is the prime reason. Let us discuss a few methods by which you can get the maximum mileage out of your motorcar:
Monitor the Tyre Pressure: Driving your vehicle with the manufacturer specified tyre pressure is extremely important to optimize the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The main reason for this is that underinflated tyres have a larger contact area to the road which increases friction, takes up more power and reduces efficiency.
Drive Smoothly: Changing frequent gears, accelerating and decelerating rapidly and braking frequently are some of the actions that impact the car’s mileage severely. In the interest of fuel efficiency, it makes immense sense to drive your vehicle as smoothly as possible
Use Higher Gears: As much as possible and practical, try and use higher gears without the engine knocking. The car inadvertently uses more fuel when driven in lower gears as compared to higher. Also, consider the RPM for changing gears and ensure that the gear RPM ratio is met.
Clean out the trunk: It doesn’t seem so, but many of us carry a lot of unwanted stuff in the car which makes the car heavier and in turn reduces the fuel efficiency. There might be an unwanted roof rail, a child seat or even an extra Stepney that you carried in the last long trip. The fact is, the lighter the car, the more fuel efficient it will be.
Get Regular Services: It is also important to have your car serviced at the regular intervals and have the different filters and engine oils changed as required as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Not maintaining the car properly will inadvertently decrease the mileage of the car and will be quite expensive in the long run.
Avoid the use of Air-conditioning: As much as possible, try and regulate the use of air-conditioning only when absolutely needed. Although it might not be always feasible in city driving or in a hot country like India, It must be understood that air conditioning does decrease the fuel efficiency and the more powerful air-conditioning is utilized, the more fuel is used.
Consider the Aerodynamics: The wind drag is one of the most important reasons of reduced mileage, specially on highways, having the windows rolled up can better the aerodynamic stance of the vehicle whereby the air does not gush into the cabin but flows over the body.
As is evident from the above examples, it is not difficult to save fuel; only a little bit of awareness and some changes in driving style is required at the end of the drivers. Since the fuel is an expensive commodity, even little savings daily can shave off quite a chunk from the overall fuel bill.
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