Wednesday, May 30, 2007
High Gas Prices Are Destroying My Fuel Economy
People think they're saving gas by taking it easy on the throttle, THEY ARE NOT!!
I'm hitting more traffic lights and having to sit through multiple light cycles. I'm getting way less MPG.
More time on the road and more stops = more gas burned.
And engines are most efficient between 3000 and 4000 RPM. The extra fuel spent getting up to speed faster is negligible (you may even use less fuel).
(see also, Save Gas: Avoid Brakes!
and, Accelerate Faster
and, Why Peak Torque
and, The Big Deal About Gas Prices
and, Is Gasoline a Giffen Good
and, Horn Day)
UPDATE: An analogy to clarify:
I'm hitting more traffic lights and having to sit through multiple light cycles. I'm getting way less MPG.
More time on the road and more stops = more gas burned.
And engines are most efficient between 3000 and 4000 RPM. The extra fuel spent getting up to speed faster is negligible (you may even use less fuel).
(see also, Save Gas: Avoid Brakes!
and, Accelerate Faster
and, Why Peak Torque
and, The Big Deal About Gas Prices
and, Is Gasoline a Giffen Good
and, Horn Day)
UPDATE: An analogy to clarify:
It's also a lot like riding a bicycle. At high gears and low speed, you might not even be able to push hard enough to get going. You mostly just put a lot of strain on the chain. Instead, you use a lower gear and and pedal less hard at a more comfortable, medium pace. Once you get going faster, you'll notice that you're spinning the pedals faster but there is almost no resistance at all and you're wasting a lot of energy moving your feet so fast. So you upshift; resistance increases slightly, your pedalling slows slightly, and you're a lot more comfortable.
