Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency

It’s really exasperating to see fuel prices skyrocketing, right? We can only feel helpless in the face of recurring and economy-driven price fluctuations. Seeking measures to improve fuel economy is the only way to combat rising fuel prices. Do not disregard these simple guidelines; each little step can really start adding up to significant savings to your budget.

Check Tyre Pressure

Keeping the tyres well inflated is one of the simplest things you can do to help improve your car’s fuel efficiency. You can improve the mileage by about 3.3 percent if you keep your tyres inflated properly, according to the DOE.

Lighten Your Load

Empty out your boot of unnecessary items. For every extra 45 kg you carry, your fuel efficiency can drop by 1-2% in a typical vehicle.

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N

The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. Driving within the speed limit recommended by the manufacturer helps save fuel. Driving just 5mph over the speed limit can affect fuel economy by up to 23%. Likewise, quick acceleration consumes too much fuel; accelerate slowly and gradually.

Do Fuel Quality/Types/Additives Help Mileage?

Petrol pump attendants often try to convince you to go for ‘Speed petrol’ or ‘X-tra Mile diesel’. But this need not necessarily help improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Always use the grade recommended for the vehicle by the manufacturer. Higher octane fuel may not only be a waste of money but may harm the vehicle, as well. However sticking to one brand of fuel is always good for the engine. Know more about Octane Ratings

Tune Your Engine

A well-tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4%. So change your oil and follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation on servicing.

Clean the Air Filters Regularly

Air filters keep impurities from damaging your engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by as much as 10%.

Keep the Windows Closed

Driving with your windows open considerably reduces mileage, far more than keeping the AC on while driving along highways. So preferably keep the windows closed and the AC on if you want to keep cool. Of course the air-conditioning decreases fuel efficiency considerably, so use it judiciously. Windows down or A/C on — which is more fuel-efficient?

Clean Spark Plugs

Ensure your spark plugs are in good condition. Renew the plugs and wires at intervals specified by the manufacturer. This will keep all cylinders firing properly resulting in higher efficiency.

Don’t Be a Clutch-Driver

Never keep your foot on the clutch while driving. When you do this, pressure is being placed on your clutch, and it not only reduces mileage, but also wears out the clutch plate, replacing which is not cheap.

Keep the Car in Showroom Condition

It’s always prudent to keep the car in the showroom condition. Remember that any modification to the car, such as broad tyres, diffusers etc., will adversely affect the mileage.

Toyota moves ahead on hydrogen cell car

TOYOTA Motor Corp said on Friday it has developed an advanced fuel- cell vehicle that can run for 830 km (516 miles) on a single tank of hydrogen and in temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius below freezing (- 22 F).

The zero- emission FCHV- adv will be leased to government agencies, among other possible users in Japan starting later this year, a spokes woman said. The new version of the fuel- cell car, which runs on hydrogen and emits only water, increased fuel efficiency by 25 percent with an improved fuel cell unit and other changes to its brake system and elsewhere.

Combined with a slightly bigger fuel tank and a doubling of the maximum storage pressure, the FCHV- adv extended the cruising range from the previous FCHV’s 330 km (205 miles), Toyota said in a statement. It has a maximum speed of 155 km per hour (97 mph). Fuel- cell vehicles are widely considered the ultimate longer- term alternative to today’s conventional cars as they run on an inexhaustible and cheaper source of fuel —hydrogen —have no harmful tailpipe emissions and do not compromise driving performance.

The main hurdles for their proliferation are alack of fuelling stations and the high cost of development. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe had said previously that it will take years to make eco- friendly cars running on fuel cells commercially viable. Besides the hefty price, motorists would also need an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations if they are to take the cars on the road.

Toyota and domestic rival Honda Motor Co became the world’s first two automakers to put a fuel- cell vehicle on the road in December 2002, and have since been in a tight race to prepare them for mass- commercialization. Honda’s latest FCX Clarity, a sporty- looking fuel- cell sedan, can run 620 km (385 miles) on a single fuelling as measured under Japan’s fuel efficiency test method. It can go as fast as 160 km per hour (99 mph), uses a lithium- ion battery and can withstand temperatures from -30 to 95 degrees Celsius (- 22F to 203F).

Honda plans to begin leasing the car in the United States starting next month and in Japan later this year. It is targeting lease sales of about 200 FCX Clarity cars in the first three years in the two countries combined. Toyota’s FCHV- adv, which uses a nickel- metal hydride battery, will be showcased as a test- ride vehicle at the Group of 8rich nations’ summit in Toyako, northern Japan, next month. It will also provide more than 70 hybrid cars and hydrogen fuelled buses for use by shuttle participants.

Japanese companies have been working to create a viable zero- emission car running on fuel cells, which produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, leaving water as the only by- product. Toyota’s system was enhanced to further improve cruising distance and low- temperature starts, which had presented obstacles to widespread fuel cell vehicle use, the company said in a statement.

Toyota engineers managed to control the amount of water produced inside the fuel- cell system, which previously interfered with electrical generation at low temperatures. Fuel efficiency was also improved, the automaker said. Toyota said it would continue to strive to improve the durability and reduce the cost of fuel cell vehicles to bring about their widespread use.

Toyota was a pioneer of petrol- electric hybrid cars which are attracting growing interest at a time of soaring oil prices and increasing concerns about global warming. The International Energy Agency estimated today that nearly a billion electric or fuel cell vehicles may need to be put on the road as part of an energy technology revolution to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.