How many of you are like me, where you drive a kilometer to a filling station because its price is 5-7USc less? Well welcome to my world, I know at times it doesn’t make any sense but that’s who I’am. It’s just a thing I have about saving fuel for my wallet and at times for the environment because I realized that if everyone could be so conscious about saving their fuel we as the human race could go very far in terms of reducing the oil consumed by upto 25% by careful driving alone. Maintenance and repair saves 5% of your average fuel consumption, imagine!!! For countries like the US 5% is 400 000 barrels, and that means be careful of your air pressure, when the tires are cold (e.g., in the winter), their pressure will decrease due to the thermal contraction of the air. It is recommended to check tires at least monthly, preferably weekly. Having properly inflated tires will also help you avoid uneven wear on the tread.
So I have a few tips here that I have been practicing, N.B. the gains of these practices are not like immediately visible but know that they are there.
• Slow down. The faster you move, the harder your engine has to work to push through the wind. Speeding can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 33%. (Factors other than air resistance decrease fuel economy below about 60 MPH, so fuel economy is not a reason to go slower, but fuel economy decreases rapidly above that speed).
• When you fill up with gas, fill up halfway and try and keep your tank above one quarter full. If your fuel runs low, you could put stress on the fuel pump. Well i’am guilty on this one because I usually operate in the forbidden range there;
• Accelerate smoothly with moderate throttle. Engines are most efficient with moderately high air flow (throttle) and at revolutions per minute (RPM)s, in a manual transmission car, practice ‘short shifting’, or shifting to higher gears as soon as you reach your desired speed by skipping intermediate gears;
• Use cruise control. In most situations, using your cruise control reduces fuel consumption by maintaining a constant speed;
• Plan your route carefully. Take the route with the fewest stops and turns and least traffic. Take highways in preference to city streets when possible.
• Avoid braking wherever possible. Braking wastes energy from fuel that you have already burned, and accelerating after braking consumes more fuel than driving at a constant speed. On city streets watch ahead and coast when you see a red light or traffic jam ahead.
For this week, please find time to do this or educate someone because we badly need this earth in good shape 100 years from now, why dnt you be a part of it.
For your feedback and comments, please don’t hesitate to contact the author on nyamadzawocollins@gmail.com
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