Introduction

When we choose a vehicle for ourselves, fuel economy is one of the key factors in our decision. Typical questions include: Is this fuel efficient?  Does this return to a good fuel economy? Will it continue to be as fuel-efficient after 5 years as it is now? 

Well, while a lot of that goes to the mechanism part of the engine, some reasons depend on how you use the vehicle.

It’s essential to inspect the vehicle’s condition and check the tire pressure, acceleration braking, and the type of roads you’re riding on. In this article, we have shared some simple ways to reduce fuel consumption in your vehicle. Let’s begin without delay. 

8 Ways to Reduce Fuel Consumption in Your Car

Here are eight different ways to reduce fuel consumption in your car: 

1. Keep tires Inflated

If your vehicle isn’t returning the fuel efficiency it statistically should, then the air pressure inside the tire might be the reason. 

When a car’s tire doesn’t have the necessary air and isn’t inflated properly, it will cause the engine to work harder. As a result, the engine has to produce more power to reach the same destination as it would with less power and more inflated tires.

When the tires are underinflated, they have to face higher rolling resistance on the road. As a result, it can make the car less fuel efficient. On the other hand, properly inflated tires can improve the overall efficiency of the tire. 

2. Lose the Weight in your Boot

There’s no need to keep unnecessary loads inside your car. If that’s what you’re doing, then you may have to compromise on your fuel economy. That’s why it’s important that you think twice before you load up more items in your car – whether it’s an electric vehicle or one that runs on fuel. 

Here’s something worth knowing: if you increase the fuel consumption of your car by 2%. So, if you have more weight loaded inside the boot space without any reason, it’s time to lose them. 

3. Driving your Car with AC?  

So, are you running the car with the AC on? Well, in that case, your car’s fuel economy will have to be compromised. 

When you turn the AC inside your car on, it consumes energy produced by the engine itself. In this case, the car’s engine will exhaust itself, producing power to keep the car at a specific speed limit. 

As a result, your car will burn more fuel than normal. Additionally, if you’re storing extra items in the boot space, you’ll reduce your fuel economy by a few percentage points.

Yes, running your car’s air conditioner (AC) does increase fuel consumption. The AC compressor is powered by the engine, adding a load that requires more fuel to be burned to maintain the same speed and power. This can reduce fuel economy by several percentage points, depending on various factors 

4. Drive at a Moderate Speed

Professional drivers working for any business or logistics fleet must abide by traffic rules and drive carefully. This means maintaining a specific speed limit when driving.  It applies to any professional driver or someone driving their own vehicle.

Speeding up and down constantly not only increases the chance of accident, it also affects the fuel economy of your vehicle.  If you’re a single owner of a car, the additional fuel expense would seem too much. 

But this expense multiplies when it’s a vehicle fleet run by a business owner. 

Even if you’re using business fuel cards to take care of your fuel expenses, reckless driving can drill a hole inside your pocket or your monthly business expenses. 

Whether for professional or personal use, no one wants to spend an extra amount on fuel. It helps significantly to make your car fuel-efficient by maintaining a proper speed limit while driving. 

Learn to drive at a moderate speed so that your engine doesn’t have to constantly adapt to your driving speed. It helps to use a common and average speed on the road to keep the fuel economy at a minimum level. 

5. Steady Acceleration over Sprinting

It might give you an instant thrill to revive your car at a higher RPM. However, it also costs you more fuel, thereby reducing your car’s fuel economy

Every time you start to rev your vehicle it has to wear and tear. It also makes the engine work hard to match the power output you’re demanding. As a result, you also exhaust your fuel, making the car less fuel efficient.

Higher RPMs mean that there have to be more combustion events for each minute, adn each combustion even consumes a specific amount of fuel. So, it’s best to keep the car at a lower RPM if you want to save more money on fuel. 

6. Say No to Aggressive Braking

When you drive too fast, you’re likely to brake aggressively as well. Braking hastily or aggressively can also affect your car’s fuel consumption. 

It’s not too wise to slam on the brake too hard. When you slam on the brake, you’ll have to accelerate the car too fast again to speed up. Both are not the best practices when it comes to driving. Additionally, accelerating or braking too aggressively can reduce your car’s fuel economy. 

7. Cruise in Top Gear

Maintaining a constant speed of your car at a higher speed also helps you achieve a healthier fuel economy. Especially if you’re driving an automatic car, you’ll need to use cruise control.

Additionally, if you’re driving a manual car, it also helps to maintain a constant speed in a higher gear. Maintaining this driving speed on the highway doesn’t cause your engine to rev too quickly. As a result, it achieves a better fuel economy than the average vehicle. 

8. Practice Predictive Driving

The best driver will always plan his move ahead of time. 

It helps to look ahead and keep your mind open to what’s on the road, as this can help you drive better. 

Instead of slamming on the brake right when you want to slow down, go for a lower speed when you see the red light from afar. Or you can slowly increase the speed instead of revving hard when going uphill. It’s all about building that spatial awareness that lets you stay ahead on the road and keep the fuel economy at a healthy rate. 

Final Words

Now, for the final verdict, it’s mandatory that you maintain the engine’s fuel efficiency to its top and optimum level. However, the engine parts work closely in tandem. When you maintain them poorly, it builds corrosion and sludge. It can affect the smooth operation of the engine, making the fuel economy go down. 

Wait, do you remember when you serviced your car for the last time? If you don’t, then it’s time to hurry and start with a service and follow the tips we have shared in this article.